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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28711983">Can't help chipping in</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs12A/pseuds/Mrs12A'>Mrs12A</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), Elite (TV), Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The 100 (TV), The Walking Dead (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anomaly multiverse, Bellarke, Bellarke in other series, Bellarke multiverse, F/F, F/M, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:08:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>50,429</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28711983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs12A/pseuds/Mrs12A</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This time it's too much, the drop of water breaks the camel's back. She must do something about it.</p><p>What if Sabrina Spellman sticked her card in bringing Bellamy and Clarke together but nothing went as planned?<br/>What if she accidentally created an interdimensional portal plunging them into the universes of several well-known series (Buffy, GOT, TWD, Stranger Things, Elite ... etc)?<br/>What if the anomaly was smarter than we thought?</p><p>Because in the end, in this dimension or another, Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin are inexorably destined to each other. Everybody sees it, it's up to them to realize it!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bellamy Blake &amp; Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake &amp; Octavia Blake, Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake/John Murphy, Carla Roson Caleruega/John Murphy, Clarke Griffin/Spike, Echo &amp; Lexa (The 100), Echo/Lexa (The 100), Octavia Blake &amp; Clarke Griffin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Incredible Sabrina</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">This time it's too much, the drop of water breaks the camel's back. She must do something about it.</p><p class="p1"><br/>For months now, even years, soon decades in fact, Sabrina Spellman has been watching these two fools Clarke and Bellamy loving each other more than she knew humanly possible, without ever daring to admit it to herself. All these wasted years, all these repressed feelings, it's far too much for her little witch heart. She watched them grow from adolescence to adulthood with that same spark in their eyes, the spark that was born from their first glance when Clarke ended a fight Bellamy was investigating by yelling at him. We can say that it wasn't love at first sight, though... They bickered for a long time over a yes and a no, making the roar of their voices resonate in every hallway of Greendale High School, but even in their incessant arguments, Sabrina could glimpse the roller coaster ride that roared in each of their two hearts, the waves of love dancing through their eyes, the growing admiration in each of their provocation...</p><p class="p2">It is well known that Sabrina Spellman is never wrong and the least we can say is that she had never encountered such pure love in two human beings, perhaps even in anyone in fact. From Heaven to Hell, no love was as blatant as the one between Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake. From Pluto to Mercury, no star shone brighter than the flame of these two. It was unbelievable, almost impossible. She knew that the soulmates' stories were real, but these two...it was much stronger than that. And her curiosity as a young witch, her taste for interfering in everything, had been touched in her heart.</p><p class="p2">At first she had believed in a spell, it couldn't be otherwise of course. But after verification by her own care and those of the beloved Aunties, it turned out that their love was very natural, pure, exceptional... unequalled, but so beautiful that it would make all the romantic stories she had read or watched pale in envy.</p><p class="p2">But why did these idiots always try to argue, to confront each other? If their love had become obvious to her, why wasn't it obvious to them? Why fight? She had wanted to give them a push, but Zelda and Hilda had formally forbidden it, reminding her to let their destiny and time take its course. The wizards had to remain as discreet as possible, to blend in, and ABOVE ALL, not to interfere in the human business! This was the first rule to be respected and for a mischievous witch like the pretty blonde, it was very difficult not to stick her oar in!</p><p class="p2">Concerning our two pathetic lovers, time had indeed been helpful. The arguments gradually stopped in favor of a beautiful friendship, until they became what we can call best friends, without ever going any further, to her great dismay. It must be said that the platonic side of their relationship was exasperating aseveryone could watch their soul-eating glances.</p><p class="p2">Of course, she wasn't the only one who noticed what they were hiding from each other. Octavia, Bellamy's younger sister, not much younger than Clarke, had a front-row seat to watch them show affection for each other and had tried to tip the balance by trying to get them to admit their feelings. But her brother and his so-called best friend were much more stubborn than that.</p><p class="p2">In fact, everyone around them could see the love coming out of every inch of their skin, from Clarke's mother to their closest and most distant friends. Even the people who hated them were disgusted to see the special bond that radiated between them... Everybody but the people who were most interested. Several people tried to make them understand, without success, and Sabrina had sworn to let them, even though her little heart was pained to see them waste their time like that, going from arm to arm, heart to heart, then from bed to bed, without ever realizing that THE right person was in front of them. Or rather without having the courage to take the first step and admit their feelings. They both lacked so much self-confidence! It's so hard for a wicked witch to keep a promise and not intervene!</p><p class="p2">She swore to herself that she would, and she kept her promise for many years, until today!</p><p class="p2">And yes, while she was quietly sipping her strawberry milk at the local coffee shop, Sabrina witnessed a conversation that she took a wicked pleasure in listening to.</p><p class="p2">"It's over. » Echo said with an air of inflexible calmness, to the murky brown man standing in front of her (yes, don't forget to mention that Bellamy Blake was really hot!!!!), visibly stunned. This gorgeous brunette had a strong character that didn't please everyone and had had a hard time being accepted when she arrived at Greendale. She probably wouldn't still be talking to anyone if Bellamy hadn't taken her under his wing... A little too close, by the way, according to the majority opinion.</p><p class="p2">These two quickly got together while Clarke was away studying in a foreign country. Bellamy quickly succumbed to the curves of the gorgeous brunette and everything was simple with her. He wasn't in love, of course not, but he felt good and she made him forget the pain of having Clarke away from him. Then one day Clarke reappeared, settling down for good at Greendale and finishing his studies at the local hospital. That day, Sabrina saw in the handsome brown man's eyes that this relationship was once again doomed to failure, like all the relationships that both of them had actually had. And from what she heard, she had once again hit the nail on the head. Echo had not been fooled either!</p><p class="p2">"Echo ..." She felt in the intonation and perplexity of the lovely man that this news was above all a relief. He clearly didn't know what to say to her.</p><p class="p2">"No, Bellamy, don't say anything. There is no necessity to do so. I don't blame you, but you and I both know it's not meant to work between us. We've had a lot of fun, but... I think I deserve better than someone who loves someone else... And you deserve to be with the one you really love."</p><p class="p2">The young man opened his mouth without letting any sound come out. She continued:</p><p class="p2">"You don't even deny me, you see. When will one of you two finally make the first move? You're free now, don't waste any more time. "There was no animosity in her voice, no sadness.</p><p class="p2">"Easier said than done!" He allowed himself to gasp.</p><p class="p2">"Look, I don't blame you, and I want us to stay friends, but don't take this personally if I'm not yet ready to give you advice on how to win her over.... All I can tell you is that you're both stupid and that nothing is between you anymore... So one of you two is going to have to make the first move.  Just do it. Go for it."</p><p class="p2">He just nodded. "We're still friends, promise?"</p><p class="p2">"I promise. You were there for me when I needed you, you can count on me. You're not going to get rid of me anytime soon! Besides... I'd miss Murphy's jokes too much, so there's no way I'd ever change friends.No hard feelings, really.I've got to go, see you soon."</p><p class="p2">Sabrina watched the tall dark-haired woman come out looking serene. She also turned to the table where Bellamy was now alone. He took his head in his hands and blew, really this time. The relief that had been visible on his face a few minutes earlier had quickly disappeared. It felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.</p><p class="p2">After a few minutes, he tapped something on his phone, ordered a second coffee and took out a book to take his mind off things. So Sabrina went back to her book as well. She still had tens of minutes before Nick, her soul mate, joined her.</p><p class="p2"><br/>He wasn't there yet when she saw a familiar blonde face walk through the vintage door of the café, give her a quick smile and head straight for the brown curls and freckles on the table next door.</p><p class="p2">"What was so urgent?" she addressed to Bellamy as she sat in the seat occupied by her ex-girlfriend.</p><p class="p2">"Echo just left me. It's all over now. »</p><p class="p2">After a few minutes, he tapped something on his phone, ordered a second coffee and took out a book to take his mind off things. So Sabrina went back to her book as well. She still had tens of minutes before Nick, her soul mate, joined her.</p><p class="p2"><br/>He wasn't there yet when she saw a familiar blonde face walk through the vintage door of the café, give her a quick smile and head straight for the brown curls and freckles on the table next door.</p><p class="p2">"What was so urgent?" she addressed to Bellamy as she sat in the seat occupied by her ex-girlfriend.</p><p class="p2">"Echo just left me. It's all over now. »</p><p class="p2">"Oh..." The surprise immediately shows on her sweet face, but nothing else. The blonde immediately put on her "poker face" and put her hand on his... "Are you okay? How do you feel? "</p><p class="p2">"Honestly? I am relieved. Is this horrible of me?"</p><p class="p2">"No, I don't think it is... Did she give you a reason?"</p><p class="p2">"Yes, she did..." The young man almost told her the truth, that it was for her, to make space for her. But he changed his mind, he didn't want to blame her for a break-up, he didn't want to give her the wrong role, and above all, he didn't yet feel able to confess to her that he was madly in love with her. "She's just not in love anymore. And I haven't been in love with her for a long time. To be honest, I don't think I really have been. We never said the big words to each other, you know. I've never actually said them to anyone. And I knew in my heart that I would never tell her because...well, because she wasn't the one. »</p><p class="p2">"Oh..." That's a lot of simple "oh" in this conversation, and Clarke was very good at hiding his emotions." Do you need to talk about it? Is that why you called me? You know you can tell me anything."</p><p class="p2">Come on!!! It was the right time, Sabrina was stomping around in her chair. Bellamy was well on his way, the conversation was going in the right direction and Clarke was now handing him a perch that he couldn't refuse... But... What the fuck ????</p><p class="p2">"I thought yes, but in fact... no. It's okay. Maybe I just need some time to adjust to the change. I'm sorry to have bothered you for so little... I had the reflex to call you I felt the need to see you, but I have to face it alone. And like I said, it's more of a relief than anything else in the end... Thank you for coming. I made you come for nothing. I have to go too. I'm tutoring a little college boy in 30 minutes."</p><p class="p2">"You never bother me, you know that. I'm going to stay for a while, I still have some time before my shift at the hospital. If you need anything, don't hesitate..."</p><p class="p2">"You are a golden friend. I don't know what I will do without you. "He smiled frankly at her, stood up, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left.</p><p class="p2">Sabrina was both charmed and especially annoyed by the little scene that had just been played in front of her. Their silliness was really sickening! There are no other words! How could we be so caring, so in love, and try so hard to hide it? It was the perfect moment! She was almost sure that the young man had called her for this, but at the last moment he changed his mind, as he always did. How much longer was this going to go on? How many botched relationships would it take before one of them made the first move?</p><p class="p2">"You are a golden friend. I don't know what I will do without you. "He smiled frankly at her, stood up, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left.</p><p class="p2">Sabrina was both charmed and especially annoyed by the little scene that had just been played in front of her. Their silliness was really sickening! There are no other words! How could we be so caring, so in love, and try so hard to hide it? It was the perfect moment! She was almost sure that the young man had called her for this, but at the last moment he changed his mind, as he always did. How much longer was this going to go on? How many botched relationships would it take before one of them made the first move?</p><p class="p2">It was too much for her. Screw her promise! It was decided she would put her foot down. But she had to play it smart. She had to find a way not to break her promise completely so she wouldn't get into (too much) trouble in case her aunties or worse discovered it. She had to give them a big push... even a good kick in the ass, without forcing them to do so. It had to come from them. They had all the cards in their hands, they just needed a little fairy, or in this case a pretty witch, to help them unveil their game. They had to finally realize that their bond was stronger than anything, stronger than a simple love, stronger than the universe... The universe! Yes, the universe! That's the solution!</p><p class="p2">Well, it was a risky idea, as Machiavellian as one could wish for, and she was really not sure she could master the spell to perfection... But at this point... Calling upon the Universe seemed to be the best option and it was not the thousands of possible complications that were going to stop Sabrina who now felt that Cupid's wings were growing.</p><p class="p2">She discreetly took her magic wand out of her bag, so that no one would notice her, and subtly pointed it towards Clarke, while she was captivated by the drawing that was coming to life under her pencil. She pronounced the spell that she had, admittedly, very difficult to remember: "<em>Et erit cor separari a capite. Quod universum auxiliatus sum animam invenire se coniunguntur merito.</em> » To tell the truth, she had only practiced this enchantment once in school and it didn't really end well. Anyway, this time there was no reason for it to fail, right?</p><p class="p2">Clarke sneezed and...nothing happened. Until then, everything was normal. The reaction wouldn't happen until she met her Bellamy hashtag #hersoulmate again. The purpose of the spell was to allow the universe to impose its will until the two lovebirds realized that they could not live without each other. This was probably already the case, but they had to be given what they lacked in order to finally reveal themselves to each other completely.</p><p class="p2">Sabrina was very satisfied. There was nothing left to do but wait, but it was only a matter of days now, maybe even hours... At least that's what she thought.</p><p class="p2">At Greendale, nothing is that simple. Let's face it! The young witch may have been very gifted for her age and of royal descent, but destiny is not so easily played with. It took just one wrong word in the statement of her spell for nothing to go as planned. May Satan help her!</p><p class="p2">Sabrina finally cancelled her date with Nick, wanting to follow Clarke's progress so as not to miss anything of the development of her spell and to be present at the long-awaited moment when Clarke and Bellamy would finally unveil their truly exceptional love. This scene would be the most beautiful she had ever seen in any TV show, and yet she watched a lot of it, and she didn't want to miss this moment for anything.</p><p class="p2">Unfortunately for her, Clarke didn't see Bellamy again until 2 days later, which was a big change in her schedule. But she was able to see the exciting and responsible life the ocean-eyed blonde was leading. Clarke didn't have a relaxing life!</p><p class="p2">So it was after those 2 days that she found herself at John Murphy's window, clumsily watching the young blonde slumped on the couch. The position wasn't very practical and it was freezing cold outside, but she didn't care because she had confirmation that the two pseudo-best friends would finally meet again. All that was left to do was to wait for the arrival of the Apollo with the brown curls.</p><p class="p2">Echo was there too and strangely enough, there was no cold between her and Clarke. Echo had realized that nothing had changed between the little blonde and her ex-boyfriend. Clarke had at first seemed embarrassed in her presence, but Murphy's sarcastic jokes quickly relaxed the atmosphere.</p><p class="p2">After half an hour, the doorbell rang and Bellamy showed up with a small tornado at his side: his younger sister, Octavia. Different but as beautiful as he was, her character was much more assertive. And even though she often argued with Clarke, she still considered her a sister and was only waiting for that to happen with her brother. She had not hidden her joy after the announcement of her recent break-up.</p><p class="p2">The blue-eyed brunette greeted Murphy with a flick of her shoulder, gave Echo a quick embrace and jumped into Clarke's arms, which brought a big smile to Bellamy's face as she stared at the two women in her life hugging each other. Bellamy greeted Murphy with a handshake, nodded embarrassedly to his former girlfriend, and hugged Clarke as usual, but more shyly, until Echo gave her approval with a smile. He tightened his embrace slightly, but quickly pulled away.</p><p class="p2">The other blonde, the one with dark eyes, perched in front of the window astride a fir branch, was waiting for the fateful moment when fate would finally intervene. To her dismay, nothing happened. The little gang wallowed in Murphy's big couch and watched a few episodes of "La casa de Papel" while commenting on each action. Clarke put his head on Bellamy's shoulder, but nothing unusual for those two. Nothing more, nothing less. Murphy loved Berlin and Clarke felt that Tokyo wasn't taken seriously enough. Octavia was rotting that swelling Arturo, screaming across the room that someone had to shoot him... Echo didn't really have an opinion and just enjoyed the show, as for Bellamy, he didn't really care what the screen showed, too captivated by the blonde curled up against him.</p><p class="p2">After a few hours, Clarke yawned and stood up after nonchalantly taking a whiff of the scent of the handsome brunette: "I'm exhausted, I've had a hard day, I think it's time for me to go home to bed. She insisted, saying the end of her sentence as she looked at Bellamy.</p><p class="p2">"Take her home, you moron!" Ragged Sabrina from her hiding place.</p><p class="p2">But Bellamy did not.</p><p class="p2">" Be careful on the road, I'll see you tomorrow?" he simply said to her. But what a fool he was! She was dying for him to bring her back, so he was so blind?</p><p class="p2">Clarke greeted his other friends and walked towards the main door when suddenly a green circle from nowhere materialized in the living room and took Clarke away in no time at all. Bellamy, alarmed, ran straight away without thinking, but Octavia held him by the arm:</p><p class="p2">"No, what are you doing there? We don't know what it is or where it leads. Clarke may be dead by now!"</p><p class="p2">Her older brother turned to her, in tears:</p><p class="p2">"I won't abandon her, O, I can't, no matter what it costs me. I will bring her back, I will find her. Let me go there. »</p><p class="p2"><br/>Sabrina was now freaking out. What had she done? She is trying to remember the spell in her head... She couldn't tell the four friends what she had done, but she could still try to help them... She's thinking:"<em>Et erit cor separari a capite. Quod universum auxiliatus sum animam invenire se coniunguntur merito.</em>" For Devil's sake! "<em>Et separatum est caput et cor tuum. Utinam inveniat inter se condiscipuli animo universum Auxilium</em>":That was the right spell, this shameless woman had made a mistake! She had said, "Heart and head will be separated. The universe will help soul mates find each other." Instead of "Heart and head are separated. May the universe help them find each other." She made her decision on a whim, without bothering to check her sources, especially her memory, now putting the lives of both protagonists in danger. It was probably an interdimensional portal. Clarke had just been catapulted into some parallel world.</p><p class="p2">"All right, I'm coming with you". Octavia didn't think long before imposing her help on Bellamy. Bellamy appeared surprised, but nodded his head. He knew that if his youngest daughter had decided to come, he couldn't stop her. The little darling was more stubborn than a hundred mules put together.</p><p class="p2">"Me too. Friends are made to help. "It was Echo's turn to show her support. Bellamy wasn't so surprised. Echo was a loyal person and despite their recent break-up, he knew that she wouldn't abandon them and would always be there if they needed her.</p><p class="p2">"Jumping into an unknown portal to go anywhere, running to almost certain death with no certainty of returning... Well... I won't let you have fun without me!" Even Murphy wouldn't abandon them. Behind his carefree side, he was a very good friend and everyone knew it. You just had to have him on your side because he could be really obnoxious and definitely mean to others. But not with them, especially not today.</p><p class="p2">Bellamy grabbed his friend's arm to bring him back to him, their hug was short but meaningful. </p><p class="p2">"We have to go now, we don't know how long that thing is going to stay there." Bellamy was about to jump into the green whirlwind when Octavia ran to the wall opposite the room: "Wait". She unhooked the sword, which until then had only served as ornament, under the three pairs of questioning eyes. She grinned excitedly: "Just in case... Sorry Murphy, I've always dreamed of playing with this marvel! Now is my chance." </p><p class="p2">No time for prevarication, his sister had a taste for danger, he knew it, and right now, only Clarke cared. So it was followed by his sister and his two friends that he rushed towards the unknown and even if he had already considered dozens of possibilities in his head, he was far from suspecting what awaited them.</p><p class="p2">The front door opened with a bang and revealed a breathless Sabrina who had come all the way around the house to join them after having fallen gracefully from her tree (yes, a witch falls gracefully!). She knew that she was in great danger if she took the same path as them. She also knew that it was all her fault, that she had put their lives in danger and that if anyone was capable of helping them, it was her.  So without further hesitation, she pronounced an umpteenth spell to stop time on this earth so that no one would notice their absence, her aunties would never forgive her, she could even have her powers revoked if this incident came to light. She would not let that happen. Finally, she metamorphosed to take on the appearance of her cat, Salem, so that she could go unnoticed and be able to follow them to help them discreetly. So it was on all fours that Sabrina Spellman entered the portal that she had just named "the anomaly", leaving behind her a paused universe, floating towards an unknown dimension, or maybe not so much...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Welcome to Sunnydale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I planned to do only one chapter on Buffy but I thought that this step where they are looking for Clarke was still important, so I lingered there and took advantage of it for a nice little moment where Bell confides in his sister. I hope you will like it...^^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">The sun was burning the asphalt of Sunnydale when Bellamy and his friends emerged from the gate. Fortunately for them, they ended up in a deserted alleyway. After everyone had come to their senses and made sure everyone was in one piece, Octavia, the most adventurous of them all, had the reflex to find out what time it was by using the Sun. She had learned how to do this from her many books on survivalism. Because yes, Octavia loved adventure, hiking alone in the middle of nowhere in the wilderness, and wanted to be prepared in case an apocalypse happened in their quiet little Greendale. If only she knew that the monsters she imagined existed and that Greendale was not as quiet as it seemed, housing a whole coven of wizards...</p><p class="p2">"How can this be possible? "she shouted. "We jumped at about 11:30 p.m and it must be slightly earlier than noon..."</p><p class="p2">"Who cares? We're not in the middle of a desert or on Mars... It's not bad enough, is it?" Murphy said, wiping the dirt off his shirt.</p><p class="p2">"It costs me to say it, but, he's not wrong, O. It could have been worse... But I don't recognize this place at all, so I take it we're not at Greendale, and as you pointed out: either the trip was longer than it looks, or we took a leap in time, too." Bellamy calmly deduced.</p><p class="p2">"In short, we have no idea when or where we are, but we're all alive." Echo added.</p><p class="p2">"But no Clarke in sight..." Bellamy sighed sadly as he looked around again.</p><p class="p2">"Hey ...We're going to find her." Octavia tried to reassure him by putting a hand on his arm. "If time passes differently, she's probably several minutes or even hours ahead of us. We're going to find her, don't worry. If we're in great condition, there's no reason why it didn't go well for her... And then, it's Clarke Griffin. She's got more than one string to her bow and you know it. She can take care of herself... For now, let's try to see where we are. Then we'll quickly go looking for her, I promise you big brother..."</p><p class="p2">The dark-haired man shyly smiles at her, nodding his head, half reassured. Since when had his younger sister stored up so much wisdom. She suddenly seemed so mature. Her little sister had finally tamed her fiery character that had attracted her so much boredom.</p><p class="p2">So the four friends decided to set off into the unknown, having no idea where they were heading.</p><p class="p2">They soon led to a busier street where people looked fairly ordinary. A good thing in itself. But still no Clarke on the horizon to the dismay of the lovely man. People were dressed slightly differently, but nothing obvious, which was also a good thing for them to go unnoticed.</p><p class="p2">They walked quietly for a few miles, passing a few stores. Nothing strange to report there either. Arriving in front of a kiosk, Echo made them stop and walked towards the newspaper stand.</p><p class="p2">"Wait...look...October 15, 2002. What the hell is that?"</p><p class="p2">Murphy ripped the newspaper out of his hands and laughed out loud: "We're in the middle of Back to the Future... Cool!"</p><p class="p2">Echo looked up to the sky." That's all that was missing".</p><p class="p2">Bellamy, on the other hand, kept his eyes fixed on the date of the newspaper... "We have to find Clarke as soon as possible and look for a way to get home. There is no more time to lose."</p><p class="p2">No one dared to answer in the face of his sudden and understandable panic. They all just nodded their heads. Even Murphy couldn't think of anything devious to nod...</p><p class="p2">"Well, Echo Murphy, you're heading east. Octavia and I are going west. We'll meet there around 7:00 p.m. or a little earlier if it gets dark quickly. We always stay together without separating and if nobody finds her by tonight we will look for her together tonight. I do not want to be separated too long. We do not know this place after all."</p><p class="p2">"Ok man, let's go Echo... Let's go for a nice game of hide-and-seek in hostile terrain!"</p><p class="p2">"Watch out for yourself," Echo simply added after Murphy's words.</p><p class="p2">Then the duos went their separate ways.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">They searched every alleyway, every store and Bellamy even allowed himself to ask some friendly faces if they didn't have someone who looked like Clarke, giving a very precise description of her face and how she was dressed before she was carried away.</p><p class="p2">"Please, we are looking for our friend. Would you have seen a pretty blonde, medium-length, slightly wavy hair with two braids connecting at the back. She must be wearing a blue floral dress with white sneakers and a denim jacket. She has beautiful eyes and a breathtaking smile..." Octavia let out a small laugh after these last details which could not be more subjective and which proved once again how much her brother was in love with his lost friend.</p><p class="p2">Unfortunately, pretty blondes are apparently common in this town, Sunnydale as they may have read several times, and in a hurry, neither of them had thought to pick up their phone where they could have found dozens or even hundreds of pictures of her.</p><p class="p2">"Wait..." Bellamy suddenly realized he had something in his possession that could help them. He put his hands in his back pocket where his wallet was still in his pocket, opened it, and pulled out a series of Polaroid pictures he had taken with Clarke at last year's big carnival. The first two were hilarious with their most beautiful faces on them. The third one was really cute, Clarke kissing Bellamy's cheek and Bellamy was smiling fully. But it was the very last one that caught Octavia's attention. On this one, Clarke was laughing out loud while Bellamy looked at her intensely, admiringly, as he often does. Anyone who saw this picture could notice that the handsome brunette wasn't looking at her platonically, as one looks at a friend. No, it was the look of someone who is madly in love. A look that seeks and offers itself at the same time. A look full of gentleness.</p><p class="p2">But Octavia didn't take it up and let her brother use these photos to help them. With little or no success. Only a waitress from a street vendor told them she saw him 5 days ago, looking lost... Five days ago? Yet another mystery that didn't help them. How long had it been between his arrival and theirs? The only positive aspect, because fortunately there was one, was that they were now certain that Clarke had landed in the same place as them.</p><p class="p2">So it was without any serious leads that they turned back to their two other friends as the sun was starting to set.</p><p class="p2">"You know, you have a right to worry Bell, you have a right to crack... I know how much she means to you..."</p><p class="p2">"You have no idea how much she means to O. If I lose her... I won't get over it. It would be almost like losing you, but differently. "</p><p class="p2">"Of course I do, believe me, I am fully aware of it! You think I don't see the looks of beaten dogs that you give her when she's not looking at you, the way you have the gift of reading each other as if no one else existed around, the way you run to her when she needs you, and the reverse is reciprocal. You love her Bell, not the way you love a best friend, not the way you love a sister, not the way you love someone who will just be passing through your life. You love her without wanting or controlling it. You love her unconditionally, without limits. You love her as a matter of course. She is essential to your life and you are essential to hers. You love her as if you've been together for many lives already; and I often wonder if that's not the case. You love her and you can't help it. And I think, at least I can even say with certainty, that these feelings are largely two-sided. You are the very definition of the word <em>soul mates</em> and everyone around you can see that."</p><p class="p2">Bellamy has stopped walking for several sentences and just looks at his sister, tears at the edge of his eyes...He swallows the ball that has formed in the hollow of his throat. "Is it that obvious?" He asks her with all the difficulty his emotions impose on him.</p><p class="p2">She just nods her head with an evident pout.</p><p class="p2">"And do you think she does too?"</p><p class="p2">Again, she nods her head with a broad smile this time." The only question that remains unanswered is Why on earth would either of you make the first move? "</p><p class="p2">"What would you think of your older brother if he told you that he's just scared to death?"</p><p class="p2">"You? Scared? But of what? There can only be good things!"</p><p class="p2">"Simply afraid of doing wrong, of taking my dreams for realities, of trying to go further when she doesn't want to and of losing her friendship. I'd rather have her as a friend than not have her at all. She's vital to me, O. I need her in my life and too bad if it has to remain platonic. Too bad if I still have to deal with my heart racing and my skin shivering every time I see her. It's worth it. I don't want to ruin what we already have.</p><p class="p2">"If you don't risk it, you'll never know..."</p><p class="p2">"Maybe...You're probably right. But I don't want to carry that burden. It's definitely cowardly of me, but I wish it came from her. I'd blame myself all my life if I did something wrong. "</p><p class="p2">"What if she thinks exactly the same thing as you again? What if she never makes the first move? Can you see yourself continuing to move forward on her terms? Investing yourself again in a new relationship that won't lead to anything? Both of you will end up getting married, having children on your own, and one day you'll regret it."</p><p class="p2">"Surely. Once again, you hit the nail on the head. But now I'm not ready to risk everything. Not yet. I'm not saying it will never change and too bad for me if it's too late. I'll assume the consequences... But since when did my little sister become my marriage counselor?"</p><p class="p2">"Since I've been watching the two of you burn with love for each other for years without ever getting off your asses and it pisses me off to see so much time wasted! Look what's happening to us now! It's crazy isn't it? Doesn't it give you the incentive to finally move on?"</p><p class="p2">"All I want is to know she's safe and secure and bring her back to me. The rest doesn't matter..."</p><p class="p2">"I'm tired of you..."</p><p class="p2">He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tousled her hair, bringing to a close this conversation that had been beneficial to him in some way. Indeed, to finally admit it out loud had done him good in spite of everything, and if he couldn't confide in his sister, who could he confide in? But as satisfying as this confession might have been. It would change nothing. He was not yet ready. Would he ever be ready?</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">By the time they arrived at the rendezvous point, Echo and Murphy were already there, alone, and by the look on their sorry faces, they hadn't had any more success.</p><p class="p2">"Neither had you.</p><p class="p2">The siblings shook their heads. "No, but we learned something ... surprising and maybe encouraging, and maybe not."</p><p class="p2">"Yes, but what else?" Murphy hastened him.</p><p class="p2">"Clarke was spotted around here five days ago..."</p><p class="p2">"Five days ago???? Fucking hell!"</p><p class="p2">As Murphy realized that the portal had not only teleported them through time and space, but that time was also passing faster than they were at home, Echo noticed something else: "How can you be sure it was Clarke?"</p><p class="p2">"I had a picture of her in my wallet, which fortunately I still have with me, which is not the case with my phone, as I imagine all of you do..."</p><p class="p2">"Oh..." Echo tried to hide her disappointment. She could tell Bellamy that everything was fine and that she accepted her break-up and had no problem with the situation and what was (or wasn't) going on between him and the blonde, but that wasn't really the case. She had become attached to the young man. She wasn't in love with him no, she wasn't sure what it really meant and she wanted to end the relationship before her feelings intensified. Bellamy had never looked at her the way he looked at Clarke, he never talked about her the way he talked about Clarke, with admiration, with devotion; and there he had never had a picture of her on him, they had never actually taken a picture together, as a couple. In fact, it was a picture of Clarke and Octavia proudly on the wallpaper of his phone, which she had never actually reproached him for, because it didn't mean anything, did it? This umpteenth observation gave her a little twinge in her heart, but it confirmed her in her recent decision. It was the right choice.</p><p class="p2">"Well, what do we do now?"</p><p class="p2">"We keep looking, together, there are still other areas to cover."</p><p class="p2">"Bellamy, don't be mad at me, man, but... With the ...jet lag, if I can call it that, I'm out and I don't think it's going to hurt anybody to go somewhere to rest until tomorrow morning? Frankly, I don't think we'll see any better at night, and if Clarke's okay, I think she needs to be safe and get some rest too. We'll be in better condition to search tomorrow."</p><p class="p2">Bellamy didn't seem to like the idea and thought for a moment. Then: "Okay, you're right. Just for tonight though. Tomorrow I'll stay up all night if I have to, but I won't stop until I get my hands on her!"</p><p class="p2">"That's a nice word..." Railla Murphy with a little teasing smile that only he has the secret.</p><p class="p2">Bellamy raised his eyes to the sky, exasperated by his friend...</p><p class="p2">"Guys, I don't want to break the mood, but...personally I'm not like my brother, I don't walk around my friends' houses with my wallet in my back pockets, so...I'm broke! So it's either sleeping in the street or Bellamy has his wallet full! And hope this place uses the same change as us!"</p><p class="p2">Murphy and Echo searched each of their pockets while Bellamy searched his wallet.</p><p class="p2">"A $50 bill lying around and some change! Oh yes!!!! I won a bet this morning! Well...you know when! Heyhey it feels good to be a scammer!" Murphy said proudly, showing off his crumpled bill from his jeans pocket.</p><p class="p2">"Nothing for me." Echo was visibly disappointed that she couldn't help them.</p><p class="p2">Bellamy counted what was in his wallet..."$481.51" in cash and my credit card if it's ever accepted here, but given the year I doubt it. We can forget about it.</p><p class="p2">" Oh my God! Why are you carrying around all that cash?"</p><p class="p2">"It's none of your business JOHN, it's just a matter of habit, I prefer it to electronics and not to brag, my old man habits might save your ass and allow you to sleep warm for a few nights!"</p><p class="p2">Murphy replied with an ironic face.</p><p class="p2">"We should have enough for a room and cheap food for tonight, but I think we should spend as little as possible... Just in case we need it again...Although I hope not!"</p><p class="p2">"You're right, Echo. Let's go, I'm starting to lose my footing." Octavia hastened.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">They quickly found a room in a small, shabby local hotel, but it was no big deal. The tickets seemed to fit and that was good news. They even managed to get a few hot dogs on the way. After such a hectic day, it was not too much of a respite. Everyone fell asleep quickly... All except a tall curly brown guy who was staring at the ceiling while his friend started snoring with his mouth open next to him...Clarke ... "Clarke ... But where are you Princess? Hold on, I'm coming... I'll find you no matter what."</p><p class="p2">Sleep eventually overcomes his thoughts more than an hour after the others. And they needed to sleep, because the next day was full of surprises.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">As agreed they rose at dawn. Bellamy, although he was the last to fall asleep, was the first to get up and after taking a good shower, hurried to wake the three marmots who were still deeply asleep.</p><p class="p2">After having some disgusting coffees from the vending machine and a packet of cookies to share, they set off. They decided to take a map of the city so that they could better divide up the areas and take notes.</p><p class="p2">Unfortunately, even with all the good will in the world, the day gave way to night without a single additional trail.</p><p class="p2">"Do what you want, but I'm going to keep looking tonight, with or without you. And if we still can't find her, I'll use some change to photocopy her picture and distribute it ... I don't see what else we can do except hope."</p><p class="p2">"Bell, I know you want to find her, but... do you really think it's serious in the dark, in a city we don't know?"</p><p class="p2">"I know O, I know. But my mind is made up. Go get some rest if you want, we should be able to afford 3 more nights, then we'll find another solution."</p><p class="p2">"Look man, I don't want to undermine your mood, but what if we really can't find her? Don't you think we should also find a solution so we can go home? Find out about that damn portal?"</p><p class="p2">"Whatever you say, Murphy, I can't make you stay. It's kind of nice having you here with me. But I'm staying until I find her. You can't change my mind."</p><p class="p2">"I'll come with you tonight, I'm not tired anyway and there's no way I'm leaving you alone. Murphy and Echo, go back to the hotel and get some rest. Try to find out more about this city. We'll meet you in the morning and we'll let you know. But I think we should actually do two teams: one looking for Clarke, and one looking for a way to leave, it will be useful for us anyway once we find her."</p><p class="p2">"Thank you for not saying if we find her." Octavia gave her brother a compassionate smile. Of course she would never say that. She was well aware that her brother was on the verge of cracking up. </p><p class="p2">"Let's go! Rest for us...and no tricks while we're gone!"</p><p class="p2">Echo made a disgusted face ... "Yuck, not even in dreams! »</p><p class="p2">Murphy was content to display his smug little smile. Then everyone went their own way, once again.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">Octavia and Bellamy continued to search. It was about 3:00 a.m. and they were getting tired, when Bellamy had a surge of hope. The adrenaline overwhelmed him when he saw a blonde girl leaning against a wall at the end of the alley. He didn't need to get any closer to know for sure, he knew that deep inside, his soul had recognized his own. It was her, Clarke, his Clarke.</p><p class="p2">She was not alone. A man, it seemed, was standing in front of her, one arm against the wall. He seemed close, too close, so close that they could kiss each other at any second. And for the space of a second, Bellamy thought he would rather not have found her than find her there, flirting with another. That thought quickly left him, because the main thing was that she was there, alive. He moved quickly, and as the man walked towards his girlfriend's face, he called out with a little too much despair in his voice: "Clarke?</p><p class="p2">The young woman turned her head sharply: "Bellamy?"</p><p class="p2">He had no more time to get used to this surprising reunion, the man in front of Clarke also turned his head, surprised by the young man's intervention, to reveal a monstrous face, literally monstrous. He threw himself against Clarke's neck while the latter shouted to Bellamy to run away. Of course he did not do so. On the contrary, he picked up speed to come to the rescue of his beauty. She didn't need it anyway. </p><p class="p2">Indeed, she dodged the monster, put a good knee to him and then took out what looked like a piece of wood from his leather jacket ... Since when did Clarke wear a leather jacket? And more importantly, since when did Clarke know how to fight?Anyway. Bellamy again had no time to think about this question, because Clarke drove his stake into the humanoid's chest and backed away, visibly proud of her.</p><p class="p2">It was at this moment that Bellamy, out of breath, joined her.</p><p class="p2">"How are you doing?" He asked her, worried. The young woman did not answer him, but threw herself into his arms as if her life depended on it, driven by the urgency, surprise and euphoria of having killed her first vampire. They hugged each other for a few seconds, taking advantage of the warmth of their bodies, the smell of their skin, and then moved apart to connect their gaze, letting a billion emotions flow through. </p><p class="p2">Unfortunately, the reunion was again short-lived, as the monster pulled itself together and moved towards them in rage. Bellamy was then able to realize every horrific feature that characterized his face. A fucking monster, a real one! When he went to tell Murphy about it, he could already see his bewildered look! Anyway, before telling anything, they should get out of this alive.</p><p class="p2">"Shit, I missed it, run, Bellamy."</p><p class="p2">"Are you sick? There's no way I'm leaving you alone with that thing."</p><p class="p2">"She's not alone," one other blonde proudly announced, who had just made a loud entrance, jumping directly from the roof of the small building. She was also wearing a leather jacket and seemed very sure of herself. The monster turned towards her and seemed to panic... Bellamy, at first surprised, quickly understood why when he saw this pretty blonde attack the monster and drive another stake through his heart. What surprised him the most was not the ease with which the girl was fighting no, it was the fact that this thing evaporated into dust right before his eyes and that neither Clarke nor the other blonde seemed surprised. As if they were expecting it.</p><p class="p2">"Goddamn it to hell!" Octavia had just watched the show from the end of the alley.</p><p class="p2">The blonde raised her head with a big smile and said to Clarke: "Well done, you're getting better, just remember to really aim for the heart next time."</p><p class="p2">"Next time? "asked Bellamy, still stunned, with a million questions in his head and no idea in what order to ask them.</p><p class="p2">"Sorry I forgot to introduce myself, Buffy Summers, nice to meet you, I guess you must be Bellamy?"</p><p class="p2">He was so shocked that he didn't even respond.</p><p class="p2">"Clarke..." Octavia threw herself into the blonde's arms and embraced her, less emotionally, but just as intensely as her brother. She broke away from the blonde and addressed Buffy: "Octavia Blake, nice to meet you. Where did you learn to fight like that? I want to learn! This is fucking Badass! </p><p class="p2">"What the hell was that thing?" Bellamy stopped and began to come to his senses. Clarke gave Buffy a questioning look and Buffy seemed to give him permission and nodded in agreement.</p><p class="p2">Clarke answered him then: " Vampire, in flesh and blood. Buffy's hunting them, she's the slayer."</p><p class="p2">"The what?" The siblings asked.</p><p class="p2">"Look, I'd love to explain everything, but the others must be waiting for us and will start to worry. Come with us and we'll explain on the way."</p><p class="p2">"The others?" Octavia seemed dubious.</p><p class="p2">"Willow, Tara, Xander, Mr. Gilles, Monty, Jasper, not to mention Spike, Buffy's friends. They are waiting for us at her house. " Clarke explained as if it was obvious and that she knew them well.</p><p class="p2">"Let's go, you're welcome! The more the merrier." added the other blonde while walking in the opposite direction of the alley.</p><p class="p2">Bellamy glanced at Clarke with an umpteenth questioning look... "Come, I promise I'll explain everything, and we'll be safer there."</p><p class="p2">Octavia nodded and joined Buffy at the front to ask her many questions about her fighting skills while Bellamy took Clarke in her arms again: "I was so scared...".</p><p class="p2">"I felt that I would never see you again..." She buries her face in the beautiful brown neck, smelling once again the musky scent of her skin.</p><p class="p2">"Let's go, it's dangerous here at night..." She began to move forward when Bellamy called out to her:</p><p class="p2">"Clarke?" Gosh, she loved the way he pronounced his name. She missed him so much... </p><p class="p2">She turned around and looked at him.</p><p class="p2">« Just... Leather looks good on you."</p><p class="p2">The two soul mates smiled frankly at each other and followed in the killer's footsteps, each of them relieved to have found the other part of themselves. Complete. Together.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">What no one knew was that at the same moment, in an alley on the other side of town, a little black cat had just appeared.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Meet the Scooby Gang</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Bellamy was able to enjoy the way to Buffy's house without any problems. No other vampires ahead. So he could enjoy the presence of his beloved friend at his side. She walked lightly in front of him so that he could admire her without moderation, detailing every curve of her body, every wave of her hair, every detail that he had missed so much even though it had only been a couple of days for him. When we feel like you've lost someone forever, time is not the same. We then learn to revel in every blessed moment that life is willing to give us. And that's what he was doing now. Finally, from his own point of view, because everyone knows that every minute spent burying all those unspoken things could only be a waste. And he knew it too, deep down inside. But he wasn't ready, not yet. For now, only the satisfaction of knowing that she was alive and close to him filled him with joy.</p><p class="p1">Clarke, as usual, was trying to contain her overflow of emotions, which she found a little harder to hide than usual. The joy of finding Bellamy, and Octavia, of course. The adrenaline of her first fight against a vampire during her interrupted training. But also the small disappointment that Bellamy was not more demonstrative during their reunion. She would have hoped that this misadventure would have made him react, but in fact, their relationship would still remain friendly. She was beginning to wonder if she didn't sometimes imagine all the signals he was sending her. Of course, she had had the urgent need to hold him close to her, she even hesitated for a quarter of a second to cover her lips with his, eventually. Finally she had changed her mind, waiting for him to make the first move. Again. Always. And then she had told herself that the most important thing was that he was there. Because she had believed that she would never again be able to plunge her soul into his, that she would never again be able to curl up against him whenever she felt the need, that she would never again have the opportunity to tell him that she loved him so much for all those years that this love was tearing her inside, that she was suffocating and burning with desire with every touch of her skin... She had almost never had that chance again. Should it also have forced her to make things happen and take the lead in moving their relationship forward? It certainly should have! Unfortunately, it's when each one waits for the other to start that nothing happens. And there again, they were in total symbiosis, paralyzed by the fear of change, of rejection, even though each of their instincts told them that everything would go well, that they were destined for each other.</p><p class="p1">Once again, the two of them pushed back their real aspirations as they walked through the almost deserted streets of Sunnydale. Clarke couldn't help but smile as he heard Octavia flood Buffy with questions, each one more zany than the next, about these fighting techniques and her story. The young Blake seemed captivated. If there was one person in the world who could appreciate this strange world where the watches were real, there was no doubt that it was Octavia Blake.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy, however, broke the silence between the two of them: "You tell me?"</p><p class="p1">"I'll try to make it short if I can, we'll have plenty of time to go into details when we get home, I hope. I arrived here a little less than a week ago. I must admit that I was totally freaked out when I realized that I was neither in the same place, nor at the same time, nor even in the same world actually, completely alone, without you, without all of you. I strolled around the city looking for all the information I could find. Luckily I had my bag on me when the gate sucked me in, and fortunately it was the same change, so I was able to find a room for the night and some food. I wandered around like this for 2 days, and I was starting to lose hope...But I didn't want to let melancholy win me over. I had to be strong and find a solution. The second night I lingered a little longer in my search and I came home just after sunset. I was attacked by one of those...things. Well, attack is a big word, he/she had the features of a young girl crying at the entrance of a dark alley. I wanted to see what was wrong and help her and once out of sight of passers-by she revealed her true nature."</p><p class="p1">"Just like the one I saw. »</p><p class="p1">"Exactly. But my lucky star couldn't have been far away because Buffy and Spike were patrolling that very corner and heard me screaming. Buffy disintegrated the vampire with a single blow. I was totally stunned. She tried to come up with a bogus story to explain what had just happened, but I quickly cut it off by explaining what had happened to me, how I had come to this town (because she immediately noticed that I wasn't from here and that something was wrong), and that I was fully aware that what I had just seen was supernatural. Spike seemed to like me. Buffy quickly wanted to know more about me, about the portal, about my world... That's how I ended up sleeping at her place that night, and every other night. She introduced me to her friends and her guide, he's a kind of teacher, he's a bit grumpy sometimes but he's cool, I'm sure you'll love him. Everybody helps me to look for a way to get home but they haven't seen anything like this. And last night I persuaded Buffy to train me so that I can at least feel useful here and be able to defend myself if I get into trouble. And that's how you found me."</p><p class="p1">"Wow."</p><p class="p1">"Yeah huh!"</p><p class="p1">"I'm sorry, Clarke. You must have been scared to death out here alone."</p><p class="p1">"It's not your fault. It just happened. And then you found me again... You're here, that's the most important thing."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy froze, tears at the edge of his eyes, unable to move forward. "If I had never found you, if I had lost you..." The words are there, on the border of his lips. He would not have survived without her. What's the point of living in a world where Clarke Griffin doesn't exist?</p><p class="p1">"Hey...it's okay. I'm right here with you." Clarke embraces him in such an intimate way that only the two of them can define. For a moment, they forget where they are, they forget their problems...only aware of their two bodies glued together. No matter where they are, it' s close to each other that they are really at home. Bellamy feels his wings sprouting and delicately detaches himself from Clarke, connects his dark eyes to the luminosity of his own, and delicately spreads a strand of his soft face. He lingers on this gesture and puts more tenderness into it than usual. If he seeks approval in the young woman's moved eyes, he will find it. This is the moment when they have never... It' s the perfect time to cross that last line they have yet to climb. Their souls are already devoted to each other, their hearts already dedicated. They were born for each other and they know deep down inside. All that's left is to tell each other, to show each other... And now, yes now, Bellamy is getting closer and Clarke's heart is boiling.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Ahhhhh". Octavia's scream ruined this precious and long awaited moment. Bellamy's tortured mind would later think that it was a sign that it wasn't meant to happen right away, what an idiot. But then, at that very moment, it was the panicked scream of his youngest daughter that drove him to run to the source of the commotion almost two blocks away, Clarke on his heels. How long had they been in each other's arms?</p><p class="p1">He arrived just in time to see Buffy disintegrate her second vampire of the evening and her sister slice off the head of the second monster with an aplomb worthy of Xena the warrior princess. She did well to drag this little sword from Murphy's with her.</p><p class="p1">"You're coming in after the party." Threw the brunette at him with a euphoric grin.</p><p class="p1">"Wow! You're doing great! It's the first time I've ever seen an uninitiated person kill a vampire so quickly! You nailed me! Maybe I'll learn something from you after all!"</p><p class="p1">"I took a self-defense class as a teenager and then went on to Jiu-jitsu."</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, Octavia likes to fight a little bit more than she should, even though she's happily calmed down." The young woman looked up to the skies after hearing what her older brother had to say.</p><p class="p1">"You could have gotten yourself killed, O." added the latter.</p><p class="p1">"But I'm alive and this thing is ...deader than it was! I can handle Bell."</p><p class="p1">He didn't answer, neither did the other two young women.</p><p class="p1">«  Is it still a long way off?" Bellamy asked Clarke as the small group got back on the road.</p><p class="p1">"Actually, we've arrived, it's on this street."</p><p class="p1">This news immediately relieved the handsome dark-haired man, exhausted by the terror of having seen the two women in his life prey to monsters he thought were still imaginary a few hours ago; and all this within twenty minutes of each other. They had indeed all deserved a little respite. But respite wasn't a word often used in Buffy Summers. Especially when her house was currently crowded with people who would still be excited to meet <em>those from the other world.</em></p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"Did you know it takes a whole jar of gel to hold Draco Malfoy's hair?"</p><p class="p1">"That's not the point. Focus, Jasp."</p><p class="p1">"I'm focused, it's just that ... a whole jar of gel? Do you realize that?</p><p class="p1">"You'll have plenty of time to tell me these exciting Harry Potter stories when we find a clue, so just put your nose back in the book and shut up for now. »</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">These were the first sentences Octavia heard as she entered Buffy's lovely house. Two boys at first sight, and their voices sounded so nice that she knew she would like them without even knowing them.</p><p class="p1">Clarke closed the door behind her and a much more mature voice reasoned, "Buffy? Clarke?"</p><p class="p1">"It's us, Giles!" Buffy replied, directing them through the rooms of her cozy home.</p><p class="p1">They arrived in the living room where a grayish man in his fifties was standing in the armchair. Octavia thought he was the father of the young blonde. He was so absorbed in the book that he read it that he didn't notice them and continued talking: "We still haven't found anything but we can already rule out several leads, so it's a slight step forward. I guess the training went well. Clarke is a fast learner. "Did you kill your first vamp... Who is it?" He finally looked up to see the tall brown guy and his sister in the middle of the living room.</p><p class="p1">"Giles, meet Bellamy and Octavia, my friends."</p><p class="p1">He put his glasses back on, as he did a hundred times a day, and stood up. "Bellamy, Octavia, of course yes, Clarke's told me a lot about you. How rude I am. You are most welcome."</p><p class="p1">He shook their hands amicably and then his gaze travelled between the three travellers... "But if you are there it means that you too have travelled through the gate?"</p><p class="p1">"Exactly yes, we followed Clarke a few minutes after his ....aspiration. But apparently there must be a time lag, we arrived before yesterday, around noon, whereas Clarke has been there for a long time." Bellamy replied.</p><p class="p1">"Indeed, interesting, very interesting..." He cleaned his glasses again. "You took the gate while this side was closed, we had inspected the place where Clarke landed from top to bottom. No trace. And that space-time... really strange. But it may help us. Could either of you take the time to give me a detailed account of what's happened since Clarke left? The more we know, the better. And one detail may have escaped us."</p><p class="p1">"Giles, maybe they're exhausted, now that they've found each other, maybe it can wait until tomorrow," the lady of the house advised him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, yes, of course. Obviously. It's just... it's so exciting to have this new mystery to solve!" At least one who was delighted with the situation, besides Octavia of course.</p><p class="p1">"Hey, I haven't been introduced?" The same voice as before burst into the room. The tall young man, with tousled hair and a broad, joking smile on his face, seemed to be strongly charmed by the new little brunette standing in the living room. He was accompanied by a small Asian boy whose face promised unfailing kindness.</p><p class="p1">"I'll take care of it." Clarke spoke to Buffy's attention. "Monty, Jasper, meet Bellamy and Octavia."</p><p class="p1">"Bellamy? THE Bellamy...?"</p><p class="p1">"Uh...yeah..." She tried to hide her discomfort and turned to the siblings: "And here are Monty and Jasper, two idiots as funny as they are intelligent, you'll love them, I have no doubt about it. They're a bit like Tweedledee and Tweedledum, only much smarter."</p><p class="p1">"Miss, I'm delighted..." Jasper leaned over to Octavia and kissed her hand. Monty giggled as his friend tried to charm the pretty brunette.</p><p class="p1">"Jasper, they're from another world and the future, not the last century!" Jasper turned his head towards Monty and Octavia, visibly offended by the laughter of the pretty brunette...Or not.Because he exploded with laughter in turn. "Yeah, right. Shall we high five then?" He began a sort of strange greeting as Octavia continued to laugh.</p><p class="p1">"Hey...But that's our high five! "</p><p class="p1">"Don't be jealous, Monty. Let the lady enjoy it."</p><p class="p1">The three young men were still laughing as Bellamy whispered in Clarke's ear: "Are they always like that?"</p><p class="p1">"No, sometimes they are worse. But fortunately! They helped me to take my mind off things and keep smiling."</p><p class="p1">"I guess so. I like them already, you're right. And the feeling seems to be going well with O. "</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"You're lucky my little sister Dawn's away for a few days on a school trip, you can have her room."</p><p class="p1">"That's nice, but, maybe we should just wait until the sun comes up and join our two other friends who are waiting for us."</p><p class="p1">"Are Echo and Murphy here too?" Clarke seemed surprised.</p><p class="p1">"Of course, friends help each other out. They didn't hesitate for a second. "He advised Octavia with a light tap of his shoulder.</p><p class="p1">"You'll be able to pick them up in a few hours indeed. But in the meantime I think a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt us. By the way...Where are Xander and Willow? "</p><p class="p1">"Xander has fallen asleep on the kitchen counter, he is currently drooling over a beautiful private copy of Mr. Giles...I'll wake him up so he can go to bed" Mr. Giles gazed at the announcement Monty had just made. "And Willow and Tara went home a few hours ago."</p><p class="p1">"Oh, right."</p><p class="p1">It was Clarke's turn to lean towards Bellamy's ear: "Willow and Tara are witches, so they are safe at night...".</p><p class="p1">"Witches? Nothing else? This is a strange world..."</p><p class="p1">Jasper said to Buffy, "If you want to know where Spike is, he..."</p><p class="p1">"I don't care where Spike is. He can do what he wants. It's none of my business."</p><p class="p1">Jasper looked at his shoes, embarrassed.</p><p class="p1">Clarke added again in the ear of the young man, which had the effect of covering his whole body with shivering, not resisting the hot breath of the blonde against his skin: "Spike is a vampire. But that's cool, he's...not like the others, well, you'll see for yourself. Personally I like him and I've never been afraid of him despite his....condition. He and Buffy have a complicated relationship from what I've seen..." Bellamy simply nodded her head and didn't ask for more information.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"Come on, I'm exhausted, if you don't mind I'll show you to your rooms. Don't hesitate to pick up your friends whenever you want even if everyone is asleep. I can't wait to meet them."</p><p class="p1">Clarke already knew the house so she let her two friends follow Buffy, and closed the walk. She wanted to spend the night near Bellamy, she had missed him so much. Feeling him lying next to her would have done her a lot of good. But wouldn't that be playing with fire? Would she be able to resist, to remain wise? It wouldn't be the first time that she had shared her bed with Bellamy, it had often happened, especially when they were a little younger, at drunken parties where she woke up with her T-shirt on and didn't know how she got there. He took care of her, she took care of him, for better or worse. That's how it was between them. But as time went by, it became harder and harder for her to repress what she really wanted. And she knew that tonight she couldn't do it. Too many emotions had turned her upside down... No, she shouldn't. So it was a good thing Buffy gave them Dawn's room... Right across the hall from hers.</p><p class="p1">"Here you go, make yourself at home. See you tomorrow." After explaining some things to them and showing them the bathroom. Buffy went to bed, leaving the three of them in her little sister's room, which wasn't really her sister's room, but she didn't really care, and if she hadn't confided in Clarke about it, she never would have guessed it.</p><p class="p1">"Well, I was going to get some rest too but... Can you wake me up to get Murphy and Echo? I'd like to surprise them."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy also hid his disappointment at having to part with her for the night. "Of course."</p><p class="p1">"My room is just across the hall..."</p><p class="p1">"Count on me."</p><p class="p1">"Always."</p><p class="p1">Octavia felt superfluous during this strange moment where once again, their gaze seemed to share silent words. She broke the silence to cuddle Clarke: "Good night my beautiful, glad to have found you. Now all that remains is to find a way to get the hell out of here...whatever I might like to do in the end."</p><p class="p1">Clarke laughed slightly. "Good night O. Thanks for coming over."</p><p class="p1">"You're my friend, my best friend in fact... And I wasn't about to let that jackass go off on his own!"</p><p class="p1">Clarke didn't dare answer and just smiled. She knew in her heart that Bellamy would never abandon her. He never had. His loyalty to her was unfailing. The thought made her heart buzz...</p><p class="p1">She pulled Bellamy towards her, grabbing her arm tenderly. "Thank you," she said. She whispered to him as she kissed his cheek, the only thing she allowed herself to do when she wanted more than anything to walk the few inches away from his lips...</p><p class="p1">"See you later, Clarke." He replied with the same tenderness in his voice. "Try not to disappear this time."</p><p class="p1">"I will try." She went back to her room trying not to be frightened by what Bellamy had just said. If she let the fear win her over for even a second, then she would have to join the Blakes in their room to sleep between the two of them...</p><p class="p1">She went to bed alone but soothed that night, a few meters away from the beautiful Apollo who slept in front of her, thinking that together they would find a solution.</p><p class="p1">What she didn't see was that on the edge of her window, a pretty black cat was watching her. Indeed, Sabrina had used a location spell, this time successful, to lead her to Clarke. They had found them when they had just arrived at Buffy's house and were able to listen to what they were saying to each other. The little cat landed on the edge of the window and decided to take a nap as well so as not to miss anything for tomorrow.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Barely 4 hours later, the sun came out and woke up Bellamy, who had always been a light sleeper. He had slept better than the night before, but had woken up many times, resisting as best he could to go and see if Clarke was in his room.</p><p class="p1">So he got up and let Octavia sleep a little longer, and walked to the opposite door. He put his hand on the handle and froze... What if Clarke was no longer there? What if she's gone through some portal again? What if she had been taken away from him again? No, that wouldn't happen. He turned the handle and went in. His friend was there, lying on the bed, the blankets only half covering her. She was wearing shorts and a satin pajama shirt, probably Buffy's. He couldn't bring himself to wake her up right away...savoring this delicious image. How beautiful she was, a real goddess. He would have liked so much to see this show every morning...</p><p class="p1">In the end, he couldn't resist caressing her cheek, her skin was so soft... She stirred a little.</p><p class="p1">"Clarke..."</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">She moaned slightly but didn't move, which encouraged Bellamy to continue his caresses, which had absolutely nothing platonic about them without him noticing, or maybe he did. And he would have liked to go further... But not today, no, how could he think of all the ways he'd like to take care of her, there on that bed, when they were stuck in a world that wasn't theirs and whose creatures were worthy of his worst nightmares? No, he had to focus on what mattered now. Was this an excuse to chicken out once again? I guess so... And if Sabrina wouldn't have been in the form of a cat right now, she would have looked up when he shook her a little more vigorously.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The sleeping beauty opened an eye to him. Closed it. Reopened it: "Why did you stop?"</p><p class="p1">Was she seriously asking him to continue cuddling her? Of course she did.</p><p class="p1">"Believe me, I would love to spend my day satisfying your majesty, but we'll have to go. Echo and Murphy are going to freak out if we don't go home. But you can stay in bed if you want. You don't have to come, you know."</p><p class="p1">"Mmh...You're right, as always. There's no way I'm staying away from you, away from all of you. And I can't wait to see their faces when they see that I'm there. Murphy's probably going to find another sarcastic line to throw at me anyway... I'm getting up..."</p><p class="p1">"I'm going to go wake up O. It might be harder than you."</p><p class="p1">« So let her sleep, right? By the time we get there and back she might not even realize it and with all that's happened, she's earned her rest. You too, by the way. We'll leave her a note. »</p><p class="p1">"I'll rest when we're all safe, back home. Are you sure it's safe here, I don't know these people after all."</p><p class="p1">"Bellamy believe me when I tell you this house is the safest place in town. And everyone here is really great. I was lucky to run into them or else..."</p><p class="p1">"Otherwise you probably wouldn't be here anymore..."</p><p class="p1">This observation made him shiver. She simply nodded sadly.</p><p class="p1">"Go get yourself a coffee, I'll get dressed and I'll be there in five minutes."</p><p class="p1">He was about to open the door when: "Hey Bellamy? Thanks for coming to get me."</p><p class="p1">"You're welcome, Princess. Isn't that what charming princes are for?"</p><p class="p1">She laughed as he came down.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">A dozen minutes later, she went down the stairs and came to find Bellamy who almost dropped his cup. It must be said that her look was far from sober: leather pants, rather tight, and a white tank top that perfectly highlighted her chest. she was gorgeous. That's an understatement. He then thought about his proposal to take care of her all day long and thoughts a little more lustful than usual touched his mind. Clarke noticed this and tried to hide his satisfaction. She had to admit that she had chosen this outfit on purpose. Buffy had given her full access to her dressing room and she had a very wide choice of outfit. She had never dared to wear these pants since she had been there, settling for jeans and a casual t-shirt. She had just flashed on the leather jacket for late nights out. But with Bellamy's vision as soon as she woke up...she had been inspired and maybe she wanted to play with fire too.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"New style?" the young man said, trying to find his spirit as discreetly as possible.</p><p class="p1">"I'm just dealing with what's out there." She lied.</p><p class="p1">"You look great... You always do."</p><p class="p1">For a moment they looked into this bubble again, but Bellamy broke it: "I made you some coffee. With two sugars."</p><p class="p1">"Thank you."</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">They finished their coffee and swallowed some cookies before heading for the exit. Passing through the living room Bellamy was startled to see Spike asleep on the couch, which had the effect of waking him up...who jumped at his neck with a nasty face, the same face as the vampires of last night.</p><p class="p1">"Spike stop!" Clarke intervened. "It's Bellamy, my friend."</p><p class="p1">The platinum blonde softened his face and backed away... "Um, I see... I knew he'd find you." Bellamy briefly wondered what Clarke had told him that would lead him to that conclusion." I'm Spike. Sorry about the fangs and stuff."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy just nodded, not knowing what to say in front of the intimidating man. Spike turned to Clarke: "Heyhey, look at this style... You copy on me ... Leather fits you beautifully, Blondie."</p><p class="p1">This time Bellamy had a jealous outburst that he tried to hide. "She's hot, isn't she?" He asked the man for a little support in a way that was a bit too much, as if he was testing him.</p><p class="p1">"She still is."</p><p class="p1">Clarke cut off the pretend cockfight: "Good Spike, you'll get to know each other later. We have to pick up two of our friends who came with him. We'll be back soon. Oh, and, uh... Octavia, his sister, is still sleeping in Dawn's room, try not to freak her out when she gets up."</p><p class="p1">"Freak her out? I'm not like that, come on! "</p><p class="p1">Clarke laughed and Bellamy felt limited, always a little jealous.</p><p class="p1">"Did you sleep on the couch?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah...No sleeping with the slayer, you know..."</p><p class="p1">"You two are unbelievable..."</p><p class="p1">"She said..." She raised her eyes to the sky.</p><p class="p3">"Well, see you later!"</p><p class="p3">He simply waved his hand and went back to the sofa.</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">Clarke took advantage of the road to tell a little more about Buffy and her friends to Bellamy. She told him that Tara and Willow were a couple, they were witches and Willow had had some problems dealing with her magic; but everything was fine thanks to Tara. Xander was as awesome and funny as Monty and Jasper, who were inseparable. Willow, Xander, Monty and Jasper had been friends since childhood and Buffy had joined them in high school, introducing them to the dark side of Sunnydale. Mr. Giles was Buffy's watcher, as was her teacher; in fact, every killer had one. She also explained to him everything Buffy had told him about her mission and some of the anecdotes she had told him. Finally, she explained that Spike was crazy about Buffy and that from what she had seen and understood, so was she. But Buffy felt guilty about sleeping with Spike and didn't want anything more serious. She thought her friends wouldn't accept him because Spike was a soulless vampire, not like her ex, long story, and he was much more cruel and violent. They had fought many times before they finally teamed up and trusted each other. Clarke thought it was a shame that they didn't try to make it official. She had only seen Spike's good side but she felt that he was a good person and that her love for Buffy would always come first. So why waste their time and wait? As she said that, she suddenly thought of them both. So did Bellamy. But neither of them got up. Bellamy was reassured and his jealousy of the young man evaporated.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p3">They came to the room and knocked several times. It was Murphy who opened: "Not too soon... We almost came to you... Griffin!!!!" A broad smile lit up his face as Clarke jumped into his arms. It wasn't an intimate embrace like with Bellamy, no, but there was something intense about her. Echo came up behind him with a smile on his face and took Clarke in his arms, more shyly. "I'm glad you're okay." </p><p class="p3">When everyone's emotions subsided, Murphy asked, "Where's Mini Blake?"</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">"She's fine, long story we'll tell you all about it on the way. Get all your stuff, we're moving."</p><p class="p1">Echo and Murphy exchanged a questioning glance, but did not ask any questions or Murphy's not funny jokes. Once the door to their room was locked and the keys returned, Murphy put an arm around Clarke's shoulders and Clarke began to go the other way: "So what's new in hell?</p><p class="p1">"You don't know what you're talking about. Open your ears wide because you're going to get nailed down."</p><p class="p1">"Nothing can surprise John Murphy, not even a portal straight out of Back to the Future..."</p><p class="p1">"Trust me Murphy, Clarke's right, this time you're not gonna believe it!"</p><p class="p1">And that's how Clarke told his story all the way home when for once Murphy and Echo were really flabbergasted.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Arriving safely, everyone was awake at the Summers' house and the new faces were warmly welcomed. Willow and Tara soon joined them. Each of our five travelers once again told aloud what they had learned from their misadventure to make sure they didn't forget anything. At the end of the day, many tracks were again discarded but no solution was found.</p><p class="p1">Echo easily befriended Willow and Tara while Octavia was ecstatic over Buffy and Spike. Monty and Jasper loved everyone and Jasper had told Monty several times that Octavia had caught his eye. Murphy was the same as he was: we didn't know what he was thinking even though he seemed pretty comfortable and he was admired by Xander who hadn't let go of him all day. No doubt he saw in him the self-confidence he missed. Bellamy was closer to Giles, calmer and more thoughtful, more mature, but was watching Clarke out of the corner of his eye, which Spike teased a little too much for his taste. The worst thing was that he seemed to like it and that she was easily in his game... Was she doing it on purpose? Jealousy is really a despicable and unpleasant feeling. He hated it, but he couldn't help it.</p><p class="p1">Clarke, on the other hand, was already at ease with everyone and it was felt. It was as if she had learned to accept the situation and that she was now living it serenely. In fact, she was in no more of a hurry to get home now that her friends were by her side.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">When evening came, it was agreed to divide into several teams the next day to go see several people who could help them, witches, Giles' superiors, and even some harmless demons. Perhaps they would know more than they did.</p><p class="p1">So it was decided: Echo would go with Tara and Willow, Murphy with Xander, Octavia with Jasper and Monty, Giles would go alone to the guide council which would not accept anyone else, Spike proposed to take Clarke and what was left of Bellamy as a team with Buffy.</p><p class="p1">It' thus the ball in the belly that Bellamy went to bed that evening, jealous not advance that Clarke was a whole day alone with this vampiric Don Juan who seemed to really appreciate her. She had told him that he and Buffy were more or less together but his way of behaving was strange. Maybe he was using Clarke to make his beautiful girl jealous? If so, how far would he go? What if it was more than that? After all, he had found many similarities between the two blondes... But for him, Clarke was unbeatable, no one could measure up to him, not even THE vampire slayer.</p><p class="p1">He could also have been jealous of Buffy to tell the truth, but for the time being, it was Spike who worried him. Clarke preferred brunettes as far as he knew and he didn't think Buffy was really his type. But Spike, he didn't know anything about it and it must be said that the vampire had a certain charisma and confidence that Clarke seemed to admire... He definitely needed to clear his head to try and get a good night's sleep.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">That night however, Sabrina, fell asleep on the windowsill with a lighter heart, excited by these new encounters and the immersion of the little gang in the supernatural that she understood much better than they did. To tell the truth, this world fascinated her. And above all, she was delighted that Spike's little game was annoying Bellamy. Maybe it would finally make him react...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cruel Intentions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!! Busy week but I managed to keep my goal. Well finally I'm still dwelling on Buffy. This chapter won't have much action but I found these ideas of conversation interesting and it made me think of a little idea in my mind. So I can't guarantee that the next chapter will be the last one about Buffy. Depending on my inspiration there might be one more that will follow. I promise I'll move on to the next one. At worst I'll make a very special fiction dedicated to the mix The 100/ Buffy if I have the guts ^^I hope you like it !<br/>See you soon !</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The night was both calm and tormented at the same time, especially for the handsome brunette who feared having to stay all day with a stranger, but especially to leave Clarke next to a vampire a little too seductive. About that, he discreetly asked Giles how Spike managed to go out in broad daylight and he answered that he used a stone called "the gem of Amara" which allowed him not to burn under the sun's rays. The librarian Watcher then embarked on a fascinating explanation of the origin of the stone and how Buffy's ex-boyfriend ended up pretending to destroy it, only to give it back to Buffy years later. Buffy then saw fit to give it to Spike. He didn't know whether it was a test of trustworthiness or just an act of charity. He trusted hisslayer and until then, he hadn't regretted it. Giles didn't particularly like Spike, but he had learned to accept him and recognize that his help was often very helpful. Bellamy had drunk Giles' words, captivated by the way the man with glasses explained.</p><p class="p1">The morning passed quickly, too quickly, especially since most people got up at dawn. Luckily, Buffy had two bathrooms, which was very convenient for everyone to get ready. Giles had left while it was still dark, it was a long drive to the council and he wanted to get there early, not knowing how long it would take. Echo had gone to spend the night at Willow and Tara's house so that he could leave directly from their home and make arrangements for their journey to the various witches and wizards they knew.</p><p class="p1">Octavia, Monty and Jasper were still asleep, but had promised not to leave too late, so they were to meet with the Sunnydale youths to find out if anything else strange had happened lately in connection with the gate. Octavia was a little disappointed not to go to places where there was more action, but she was happy to share her day with the 2 best friends. She knew it would be a lot of laughs and she really enjoyed their company.</p><p class="p1">Xander and Murphy were about to leave for the library when Bellamy came out of the bathroom, he just had time to greet his friend before he left. The latter was neutral, as usual, it was impossible to know if he was apprehensive or looking forward to the day ahead. Xander admired him for some reason, but it was a fact. And what Bellamy didn't doubt was that Murphy loved to be idolized, so there was no reason for anything to go wrong. </p><p class="p1">Bellamy gently knocked on Clarke's door as he passed by to let her know that the bathroom was available if she wanted it. He was hoping to see her before he left, and he especially wanted her outfit to be a little less sexy, although he knew he had no say in the matter and had greatly appreciated her new look. However, knowing she was with the vampire all day was already too much of a worry for him, so if she was wearing her best, he would only think about it. He wanted to keep his mind focused today. To him, she was still the most beautiful wonder he had ever met, and he was hoping that this would not be the case for anyone else. Their relationship was complicated enough as it was.</p><p class="p1">Buffy was already waiting for him downstairs with Spike. They seemed to be arguing when Bellamy walked into the kitchen.</p><p class="p1">"Trust your good buddy Spike Love, you know my methods are... effective, somewhat unconventional."</p><p class="p1">"Don't call me Love I told you before! And do as you wish. Just be careful about Clarke, okay? She's been through enough already."</p><p class="p1">"Don't you trust me? Believe me, I won't let anyone touch any of her beautiful hair. She can't be any safer than she is with me and you know it... I won't let her out of my sight, nothing will happen to her." On the one hand it reassured Bellamy, on the other hand it annoyed him to no end.</p><p class="p1">"I don't know if I should be reassured or worried...". Apparently, Buffy shared his point of view.</p><p class="p1">"What does that mean?"</p><p class="p1">"You seem to like her a lot, don't you? "Here we go. So he wasn't crazy.</p><p class="p1">"Ohoh!!!! Is the Slayer jealous????" The blond boy laughed his head off and Bellamy got really angry, so he stood in the living room and spied on this interesting conversation. "She's really beautiful and adorable, you know she's my kind of woman: pretty, a little scrappy, she's not afraid of me and she stands up to me just like you... She is intelligent and is stronger than she seems...And unlike a certain other blonde, she seems to sincerely appreciate me and to be comfortable in my company... I appreciate her a lot, indeed. But she is not you, Love."</p><p class="p1">Something seemed to fly in the kitchen... " Ouch.... What? That's the truth... If it bothers you just say it Love. You know that you are the queen of my heart and I am ready to wait for you forever. But one day, when maybe you realize that you finally wanted to be officially with me...that you were ready to accept me as I am. Then maybe on that day I will have found a Clarke to whom I will have given my heart. And you know how I am, when I love it's straightforward, without limits. On that day it will be too late for you. Think about it. It's not for now, but maybe it will be. I'm at your feet and you treat me like a dog. I may be a monster, but I think I've proven my worth many times... I need someone at my side, you know that. I have this visceral need to love intensely and to be loved. Passion has always driven me. So yes, one day I'll probably get tired of focusing all my attention on someone who despises me in public and only gives me interest when no one is watching."</p><p class="p1">Wow. Spike had guts! He couldn't deny it. But that statement didn't reassure him at all in the end. Spike loved Buffy, but he had also just told her that his love might not last forever, so he could point it towards another who deserved him more than she did... And that other one might become Clarke. So it didn't look good at all. Was Spike sincere or was he bluffing to stir up his girlfriend's jealousy? Honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy heard the bathroom door open. Clarke was on his way in.</p><p class="p1">He walked into the kitchen looking like nothing.</p><p class="p1">"Hello"</p><p class="p1">" Morning" the lovers simply replied, understanding that this was the end of their conversation.</p><p class="p1">"Let me get a coffee quickly and we can go." Buffy nodded. "What's on today's agenda?"</p><p class="p1">"We're gonna stop by some demons, vampires and other creatures I know, try to get some information. I think the supernatural's where we'll have the best chance. Willow's team is promising, too, and occult sources are always good to take too."</p><p class="p1">" So are we." Spike added without being asked. Bellamy nodded in turn as the object of his desire came down the stairs.</p><p class="p1">Clarke entered the kitchen with a big smile on her face. Her outfit was certainly different, but no less beautiful and as usual, she was glowing: short jean shorts that revealed her beautiful legs and the same white tank top from the day before. She had pulled up her hair in a low bun and was wearing white sneakers. This look was a little less rebellious, but it was also a great look for her, and for Bellamy, no matter what she wore, she always looked like a goddess.</p><p class="p1">"Hello company, what did I miss?"</p><p class="p1">"Hi, Princess." Bellamy couldn't resist hugging her as he usually did, because he wanted to, but also to mark his territory. Clarke wasn't surprised and didn't notice him staring at Spike as she put her arms around his waist.</p><p class="p1">"Hi Clarke," Buffy said. "We were just explaining the program to Bellamy and I was waiting for him to finish his coffee before we took off."</p><p class="p1">"Okay."</p><p class="p1">"I prepared yours. Good thing you didn't wear a dress Blondie, we're taking my motorcycle today." Spike stepped forward with a cup in his hand.</p><p class="p1">Thank you," he said. Your motorcycle? Cool!" Clarke let go of Bellamy for good and gave the blond guy his best smile. Plus they would go on a motorcycle???? She would be glued to him literally. Bellamy tried to get that image out of his mind.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, here we go. See you later. Take care." Buffy gave Spike a look that said it all, maybe she had the same image as the dark-haired man at that moment and he didn't like it any more than he did.</p><p class="p1">"I promise." Clarke replied innocently as he watched the duo leave.</p><p class="p1">She drank her coffee in a hurry and they too hit the road while the three marmots were still asleep.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Lunch time came quickly. Clarke and Spike had been able to meet several old friends of him, demons, vampires, strange creatures... But none of them had ever heard of such an event. Nevertheless, Clarke enjoyed this very interesting trip where she never stopped discovering the secrets of her New World.</p><p class="p1">They were coming out of Clement's house, a demon with a very sympathetic falling skin, when Clarke's belly began to rumble.</p><p class="p1">"Are you hungry, sweetheart?"</p><p class="p1">"Uh... looks like I am. I'm sorry. It's digging in... But it' all right, don't worry..."</p><p class="p1">"We can go somewhere if you want. I don't mind. We can even leave the bike here and go on foot if you want to go for a ride and stretch your legs, there's a fast food restaurant next door."</p><p class="p1">"Perfect. Thanks a lot... Spike, can I ask you something?"</p><p class="p1">"Go ahead! »</p><p class="p1">"You don't eat? I mean, anything other than blood? And how do you feed yourself anyway?"</p><p class="p1">"Ah, the deadly question." He smiles. "I don't blame you for asking. Well then I'm not especially hungry for anything but blood. In fact it's the only food I need to survive. But I like to eat real food from time to time. It's not as good as blood for me, but it goes through and it changes...I feel more...human, when I eat. And as for blood, I get it from the blood bank, I have a deal with several employees who supply me. Every once in a while, when I'm really pissed off, I feed on criminals."</p><p class="p1">Clarke nodded: "I guess that's fair play."</p><p class="p1">"Doesn't it disgust you? »</p><p class="p1">"If you don't kill them, no. I can conceive of that. At least they're not innocent children..."</p><p class="p1">"You are pleasantly surprising Clarke Griffin. « He gave her a look of sincere admiration.</p><p class="p1">She looked down and smiled.</p><p class="p1">"I used to feed on consenting people too, but I've stopped doing that lately, Buffy didn't like it. There are people who need to serve as beefsteak to us vampires, and they quickly become addicted to it. It happened to Buffy's ex, Riley. I didn't really see what the problem was since they were the ones who were begging.  But it's true that after reflection, you become a bit like their drug dealer, so morally, it's wrong. I still have trouble with morals sometimes, you know."</p><p class="p1">"Oh..."</p><p class="p1">"I've even drank from Buffy a few times, but don't tell her I told you where she's gonna impale me."</p><p class="p1">" I promise... That... Why did she let you do that? You don't have to answer, it's indiscreet."</p><p class="p1">But he laughed and continued heartily: "Well apparently, getting bitten by a vampire, when you consent of course, is, how do you say... an aphrodisiac? She actually loved it. It has an unhealthy side to it, but I think that's what makes it exciting too... Anyway. »</p><p class="p1">The conversation ended there, without any discomfort between the two teammates.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">They found the Fastfood after a few hundred meters and Clarke took a big menu with a huge Burger accompanied by very fatty fries. Spike settled for a small burger as a courtesy to join her. They sat down on the terrace and talked about everything and nothing for a few minutes...</p><p class="p1">"I don't understand why others can be so cold and suspicious of you. Since I've been here, you've behaved in an exemplary manner.You have been honest, at least it seems to me. That's a quality I appreciate. Despite your...nature, I can feel that you are a good person. You don't hide and assume what you are, you try to do your best to recover from your mistakes. You should have the right to prove your worth. You deserve a second chance."</p><p class="p1">"You say that because you haven't seen me on my bad days yet. Believe me, I can be terrifying, the worst bastard, your worst nightmare..."</p><p class="p1">Clarke shuddered at this announcement, which once again exuded sincerity. She knew that he was capable of the worst atrocities, but at home she found it...Exciting.</p><p class="p1">"Why, how did you decide to side with the good guys?"</p><p class="p1">"If I say because of love, will you laugh at me?"</p><p class="p1">"Absolutely not... On the contrary, I will find it admirable."</p><p class="p1">«  So that’s for love, for Buffy... You know I've always had a soft heart. I've always given 300% for the chosen one of my heart and it turned out that I don't know how this chosen one became Buffy. It just happened to me, like a blink of an eye. I was completely nuts about Drusilla who thought I was her puppet and I blinked. When I reopened them, my heart had forgotten the centuries I'd spent with Drusilla and could only see Buffy. As if nothing and no one else had existed before her. I couldn't help it. I had no control."</p><p class="p1">"It's beautiful what you say."</p><p class="p1">"And it's just as sad, believe me. I had really put her through hell... And then, a vampire and a slayer? Pfff what was I thinking! A soulless vampire on top of that. She had already loved one of us, but Angel was really quite different from me. My opposite in fact. And yet, I always felt this chemistry between us, this attraction. As if even if it was wrong, fate was pushing us towards each other. And even though she denies it, I know she feels it too."</p><p class="p1">"I don't know you very well, but I think you're right. She feels it, too, I can tell. There's something between you. It's too bad she doesn't give you a chance to prove your values. And she knows she can trust you, otherwise she wouldn't have entrusted me to you."</p><p class="p1">"The problem with Buffy is that her friends, her family, will always come first, ahead of herself in fact. It's not really a problem, it's even a nice quality, but it doesn't do me any favors, because a lot of people hate me or just tolerate me. But I wouldn't give up, I can be tough, you know. Love is for me the most beautiful thing that remains here, only and unfortunately love is seen differently by each person... We can be dreamy, visceral, or take love as the engine that will allow us to accomplish inconceivable and impossible things. Only, love is something that we cannot maintain alone, projecting it to its paroxysm without the other person feeling the same motivation, the same desire to discover something that makes us capsize, something that makes our heart palpitate more than reason. I won't give up until she is mine. She is worth it. In love you must never give up, never."</p><p class="p1">She smiled and the image of a beautiful tan appeared in her thoughts. "You're probably right. I didn't know you were such a poet".</p><p class="p1">" If you knew. I've lived lives... But that's not the point... you know she almost made a tiny jealousy scene this morning... Because I liked you a little too much."</p><p class="p1">"Really? Are you kidding me?"</p><p class="p1">"No, I swear! Well, I must admit that maybe I've been a little bit insistent on purpose lately. I played it to make her react and I apologize for that."</p><p class="p1">"It's okay, don't worry, I can understand..."</p><p class="p1">"Yes, I know. By the way, you wouldn't do the same thing, would you? To attract the attention of your handsome stallion?"</p><p class="p1">"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied by biting into his burger and looking away.</p><p class="p1">"You don't do that to me... your change of style for example? Don't tell me that the tall brunette had nothing to do with it? "</p><p class="p1">"Maybe you're right, yes."</p><p class="p1">"I'm sure I'm even right. There's something between you that makes me jealous, I've never seen such chemistry. And yet I've lived several centuries, you know."</p><p class="p1">Clarke blushes.</p><p class="p1">"I do feel it, but I'm not sure about him. Sometimes I think he just considers me his best friend, nothing more. Maybe he doesn't want that to change, no matter if he feels the same way or not. He's fine with the situation and he doesn't want to go any further. Otherwise he would have done it by now, wouldn't he?"</p><p class="p1">"You know, Blondie, we men, vampires or not, we're a lot more complicated than that. And something tells me that he's expecting the same thing as you. That apprehension you feel, I think he feels it too. Maybe he's afraid to go for it just like you are, probably for the same reasons. Maybe he just needs a little push...The stupidest thing in the world is when two people love each other passionately, but are not together. Believe me, I know."</p><p class="p1">Clarke seemed to think about what the vampire said. It made sense indeed. But she still wasn't ready to take the plunge, to risk everything... It's silly, stupid even... But she couldn't help herself. This bond she had with him was precious. She didn't want to risk destroying their friendship to try to have more. She felt the need for it to come from him... She stared at Spike for a few moments...</p><p class="p1">"Maybe we could help each other?"</p><p class="p1">"What do you mean? I feel that the princess may be Machiavellian. I like it, tell me more."</p><p class="p1">"Well, you confessed to me that you're playing on Buffy's jealousy of your behavior with me, and it's true that feeling Bellamy get nervous when you compliment me makes me feel better... So, how about we keep it that way, how about we get a little more aggressive about it? Maybe the chosen ones of our hearts will finally decide to take the plunge? And if they don't, then maybe it will be a sign that they are not the right people for us after all. It would be like a test..." </p><p class="p1">"Ohoh ...I admit I like it. I love this plan..."</p><p class="p1">"But be careful, I still want to play it smart. Buffy has been very nice to me, she gave me and my friends a place to stay, she saved my life, it's thanks to her that I'm still here and probably also thanks to her if one day we'll be able to leave again. So I don't want her to come to hate me. I don't want to pay that price."</p><p class="p1">"I reassure you, knowing her, she will never hold it against you. It is exclusively me who will take. And then, you know you have more to gain than I do. "</p><p class="p1">"What do you mean?"</p><p class="p1">"Well, I already have Buffy, I know there's something between us, I've already shared tender moments with them, and others much more dirty than your ears are ready to hear...What she needs is to decide to risk a confrontation with her friends, her family. She's going to have to make her choice. I know it's not easy because no one will approve, except maybe Dawn. You're a different story. You don't need anybody's approval because every one of the three people I've seen is already expecting something to happen between you."</p><p class="p1">"How do you...?"</p><p class="p1">"I just know. You just need a little push to get you on the right track. »</p><p class="p1">"Okay...If you say so. Leaving then?"</p><p class="p1">"You bet I am! I'm totally in! Besides, you're totally my type of girl, so I'm gonna combine business with pleasure..."</p><p class="p1">She gave him a little nudge.</p><p class="p1">"Come on Don Juan, what if we went back? We still have a lot of work to do! Just so we don't come back totally empty-handed..."</p><p class="p1">The two companions resumed their research while detailing the facets of their plan. Sabrina, who had found them in the middle of their meal, was delighted with the turn of events. In the end, the universe may have done its job by sending them here. And what's more, she wouldn't even have to lift a finger again. But deep down inside she was still a little freaked out. It's true that the two teammates got along really well, there wasn't any chemistry yet, no, but there was a trick to it. What if the universe had finally brought them here for a very special reason? What if it was wrong all along and Clarke wasn't meant for Bellamy? Not impossible. She might have doubted that the Earth was round (even if she knew for sure that it wasn't), but she might have doubted that Clarke and Bellamy were not destined for each other? Never that!</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">On their side, Bellamy and Buffy didn't find any more information. They had scoured every patch of Sunnydale where Buffy thought she could get information, she even had to shake a few creatures slightly, but without success. It was mid-afternoon and still no leads.</p><p class="p1">As they were on their way to their last two contacts, Bellamy was beginning to lose hope. Other than that, the day had gone well. Buffy had explained a lot to him about her mission, the creatures they were to meet, her friends. Making conversation hadn't been complicated at all. On the contrary, it was. In fact, he was apprehensive about being alone with a stranger, but in the end the feeling went well, as if he had known her for some time. Clarke was right again, she was a good person who could be trusted. He now understood why Clarke was so comfortable among them.</p><p class="p1">The young man nevertheless looked sullen, his mind was elsewhere, and the blonde at his side had noticed this.</p><p class="p1">" Is something wrong? You seem to be somewhere else... Is my company bothering you? Don't hesitate to tell me if I talk too much."</p><p class="p1">"No, no, I'm fine. Your company is very pleasant, I reassure you. This day is going much better than I expected."</p><p class="p1">"But?"</p><p class="p1">"It's just that...What if we never manage to leave? Or even worse, what if that thing shows up and Clarke disappears again and we can't follow her this time?"</p><p class="p1">"We don't know anything about this stuff, it's a problem, I'll give you that. But nothing tells us it's going to happen again or that it's after Clarke. After all, it's been open long enough for you guys to get to her, right?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, you're probably right."</p><p class="p1">"It's normal for you to worry, but until we know more, there's no point in undermining yourself further. You need to have a clear mind to think of a solution. And then...Wouldn't it be so horrible to stay here with us?"</p><p class="p1">"Maybe not indeed, I think in the long run I'll be able to get used to it. I don't have any more family waiting for me in my world and all the people I care about are here. You're all really friendly and even though your world seems really more dangerous than mine, I think I could get used to it in eventually."</p><p class="p1">"More dangerous than yours, you don't know that. Maybe your world is like mine without you realizing it. When you're not living on the Hellmouth, it's a lot quieter, you know, even in my world."</p><p class="p1">"Maybe so. But you know, O and I may not have more of a family connection than that, Echo doesn't either since she hasn't spoken to her parents for several years and Murphy doesn't have his parents either; but Clarke, she still has her mother. And even though they get along like cats and dogs, I know it would break her heart to never see her again, and that her mother will be worried sick as soon as she finds out her daughter is missing. No matter how serene she acts, I know she is not. She wants to go home."</p><p class="p1">The young woman glanced at him for a few seconds and then asked him: "You care about her, don't you?"</p><p class="p1">"Of course I care about her, she's my best friend."</p><p class="p1">"No, I mean, you care about her very much, like more than just a friend..."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy looked at her. "Is it really that obvious? "</p><p class="p1">The blonde just nodded her head and smiled.</p><p class="p1">"Sometimes I wonder if she's really the only one who doesn't realize it." Of course I care about her more than I care about my own life," he said exasperated. "She's as important to me as my sister, in a different way, but just as significant."</p><p class="p1">"You know, maybe I shouldn't be telling you that, but I think she feels the same way."</p><p class="p1">"Did she make that clear to you?"</p><p class="p1">"No, not clearly, but her words and her behavior lead me to believe that you're more than just her best friend, too. I know I should stay out of my own business, but I think one of you two should make the first move. At least try. Sometimes there are signs that don't fool you, it's written. Chemistry is there as a matter of course between the two of you. You shouldn't close your eyes. You have to trust your heart, your fate and live this idyll in the most beautiful way, this gift that life gives you..."</p><p class="p1">"If only it was that simple. I've never been in love that much, so it scares me, you know... I'd rather our story didn't evolve than risk losingher forever. »</p><p class="p1">"I understand. But honestly, even if it goes wrong, I don't think you'll lose her. Your bond is unbreakable. I see it without knowing you for a long time. Something tells me that you will always come back to each other no matter what happens. I have loved, kind of like that, passionately. His name was Angel, he was a vampire, with a soul, long story. I loved him and he loved me. But it turned into a nightmare and he made me suffer a lot. Today our relationship has become friendly, and that's just as well. I will never forget him, but I don't want to be with him anymore. I believe that in spite of everything, we were not destined to be together. But you two, I feel very strongly that it's different."</p><p class="p1">"And you don't regret anything? All this suffering...when you talk about it, I feel like you still feel it."</p><p class="p1">"This suffering has changed me, made me close myself up... But in no way will this disappointment change my perception of love. I pity people who don't believe in love or at least ignore it. For my part, I prefer to have suffered from love than to have never known it. It seems silly, but to know love, to know its value, its sensations, I find that it is the most beautiful thing that can happen to us, even if the finality is double-edged. Happiness then suffering...I prefer a thousand times to have known happiness then sadness than to have known nothing at all... I would do it all over again with my eyes closed if I had to do it all over again."</p><p class="p1">"Yet you don't want to get involved with Spike from what I understand."</p><p class="p2">" Geez, you're venturing into dangerous territory here". She laughed nervously. "It's, complicated he and I. I don't know what Clarke told you, I didn't tell her too much about it anyway, but she already knows more than my friends. Spike doesn't have a soul, so I wonder how he can love me the way he says he does. And yet, I feel this love and I even admire him, to love me when he is what he is. It's against his nature and yet...And it's true that I've always had an attraction for him. Lately, he has been my pillar, I confided in him a lot when I had little problems and then I learned to trust him, to appreciate him. I let him tame me until I made love with him. I disgusted myself for that and I was ashamed to have loved those moments, to want to do it again. I don't know if I love him, if this is love. To be honest, I don't allow myself to think about it. Anyway, it looks like it, but it's different from what I've known before. And it scares me."</p><p class="p2">"Why do you say that?"</p><p class="p2">"My friends, they would never understand, they would hate me, I would disgust them."</p><p class="p2">"If they love you, they'll understand and eventually accept. If they see you happy, there's no reason they can't take it, right?"</p><p class="p2">"You're probably right. We seem to be better at solving each other's problems than we are at solving our own."</p><p class="p2">The two young folk laughed heartily.</p><p class="p2">"Can I ask you one last indiscreet question? Then we'll focus on the mission, I promise. "</p><p class="p2">She motioned to him with her hands to take the plunge.</p><p class="p2">"Clarke and Spike, they seem to be getting along well... Spike keeps flirting with her and I must confess I don't like it... Do you think he might try something? Just like you don't want him to."</p><p class="p2">"I'd love to tell you what you want to hear, but unfortunately, Spike is unpredictable. I don't question his love for me, but I can also understand that one day he may not want to wait any longer. It's true that Clarke is his kind of girl and the vibe goes a little too well between them. I confess to being jealous too. But I can't get between the two of them. It wouldn't be credible on my part and then I would have to admit to myself and everyone else that what I feel for him is much stronger than I think. So I'm letting things go at the risk of losing everything. It's silly, I would probably bite my fingers. But that's the way it is. You, on the other hand, can get in between them. You have every reason to do it and nothing stops you."</p><p class="p2">"Fear. Risk. Change...To name a few."</p><p class="p2">"I'm in no position to judge you on that. But try to think about what you're willing to risk and what you're willing to lose."</p><p class="p2">"I'm taking note." He ended with a friendly wink as they arrived in their last neighborhood to visit before returning home to see if other teams would have had a better chance...</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">Sabrina wandered around each team that day, using her powers to teleport herself wherever she wanted to go. She had also tried to teleport herself into their world to see if she could be plan B . But to no avail. She was not yet gifted enough to master the art of space-time travel. It was no surprise to her when she realized that their search had come to nothing. She then made a last stop with Willow's team, her favorite team since she felt closest to it. She was not particularly surprised to see that witchcraft also existed in this other universe. It wasn't exactly the same as hers, there was apparently no Coven here, no glory to Satan or Hecate. Strangely enough, although this world was slightly older than hers, there was something more modern about the practice of magic, and he liked it very much. So she released the spying of our two lovebirds to stay a little more time with Echo, Willow and Tara who were visiting several sorcerers and witches. Sabrina was excited to learn all these new things that might be useful to her in her world.</p><p class="p2">Although she learned many unknown spells and skills that she would surely, and unfortunately, have to hide from her aunties, she also learned that no such bridge had ever been recorded. This didn't really surprise her since she knew deep down inside that she had created this portal. It was therefore the only one of its kind. She realized that without her help, they would probably still be looking for a long time, even though, she had to admit, they were a great team who knew even more about supernatural and occult forces than she did.</p><p class="p2">That's how our little witch from Greendale managed to slip a page into the old wizard's grimoire that the 3 young women came to consult. She had chosen her words carefully, it couldn't have been too simple, and anyway, she didn't know how to get out of it herself, but she had made sure to put them on the right track. Maybe with that slight push from her, the Scooby gang would finally find a solution and get them out of there. It was her mistake after all, but she was definitely not ready to take responsibility and reveal herself. She might as well put all the chances on her side to get back into their world and make sure that her foolishness doesn't go unnoticed... And if, at the same time, the Princess and the Apollo finally declared their flame, she would have won it all in the end.</p><p class="p2">Was she naive to think that everything would be so easy? Probably yes.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dangerous game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sincerely sorry for the delay. I don't like to be late in publishing! ^^<br/>I hope you'll enjoy this last chapter on Buffy... The next chapter will be on another series that we won't necessarily dwell on. Murphy will be a little more highlighted ;)<br/>See you soon!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">To say that all the teams came up empty was an understatement! It was then natural for Willow, Tara and Echo's team to announce that they had found "something", the shadow of a trail, but something not insignificant.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Indeed, during their last visit, they had ended up finding in a grimoire a page relating to an event of this kind, a spell cast several centuries ago already, featuring a portal called "the anomaly", which would in fact be a kind of representation of the universe to give a boost to destiny ... Well it wasn't clearly written like that of course, but these were the conclusions they had drawn from it. And Mr. Giles, after rereading the borrowed page dozens of times, had come to the same hypothesis. Sabrina had given them a slight clue... So slight that it probably wouldn't help them from here on unless Bellamy and Clarke finally realized that it concerned them... And Sabrina hadn't been mistaken about their respective destinies.... What a mess!</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">" Seriously? Are you kidding me?" Eventually, Murphy laughed his head off as all eyes turned to him.</p><p class="p1">"That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?" Bid Octavia.</p><p class="p1">"Oh...not so much after all we've been through here." Giles replied, wiping his glasses once more.</p><p class="p1">"Well, how are we going to get home then?" Bellamy asked.</p><p class="p1">" Now, we don't have a clue yet, but we're going to find out. It's just going to take longer than we thought. "The young redheaded witch replied with her usual enthusiasm.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy plunged his gaze into the blue of Clarke's, trying to probe her thoughts, her worries. Instead he found a certain serenity. He didn't know if it was natural or if it was due to the two souls that had just connected. At that moment, he thought that it didn't matter when or if they would be able to leave, because his home was already there in front of him, Clarke. He didn't actually need anything else, and if she could live here, then so could he. All he wanted was for Clarke Griffin to live in his world, to be happy, close to him. It was as simple as that. They didn't have to say anything, they never really needed to say anything in the end. Their way of communicating was always much deeper than just words. So he wasn't surprised when Clarke sent him a little smirk, as if she understood him and agreed with him.</p><p class="p1">That's when Spike broke their connection: "I know no one cares what I think, but I'm going to give it to you anyway.... If it's a spell that includes destiny, honestly the best you can do is wait... Well, what? If it's a matter of fate, whatever we do it's going to happen eventually, right? So you might as well be patient and try to live here for a while. I don't know who's the wise guy who wanted to play with your future, but you don't cheat with your destiny, what has to happen will happen. You're here for a very special reason at first sight, especially you Clarke, because you're the one who was sucked in first, I don't think it's by chance. So live your life, have fun, and maybe one day your weird anomaly will reopen by magic."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">He concluded his theory in a dead calm. Everyone seemed to be thinking about what he said, taking it more or less seriously, each one ogling the others with an air of doubt.</p><p class="p1">"That's not dumb, I think it's a great idea." Bellamy turned sharply to his sweetheart who had just broken the silence. She must have thought it worthwhile to justify herself: "He's right, Bell, if we're going to be stuck here, we might as well try to fit in, to be useful. If it's really providence or whatever that's playing us, then there's nothing we can do about it... It doesn't bother me more than that to be here, but I'm not the only one to decide. You are stuck here because of me. So if any of you want to keep on fighting and looking for the solution to get back home as soon as possible, you can count on me. In the meantime, we'll have to learn to live here, even if it's temporary."</p><p class="p1">The other 4 friends looked at each other and nodded their heads.</p><p class="p1">"We're having fun here, I'd love to stay for a while!" Octavia quickly rejoiced.</p><p class="p1">"No one is waiting for me there anyway, and I confess that I am quite comfortable here". Approved her turn Echo as she watched Willow and Tara embracing tenderly, a vulnerable glow in her usually cold eyes.</p><p class="p1">"I'm still in the game! I don't mind staying either. It's not every day you get the chance to reside in the Hellmouth!" Murphy continued, while everyone was turned towards the beautiful brown...</p><p class="p1"><em>I'll go where you go Princess</em>… he thought. But that's not what he said out loud: "If everyone agrees, then we'll stay! After all, what's wrong with a little chaos?" he smiled.</p><p class="p1">Jasper and Monty seemed happy with the news as they clapped their hands.</p><p class="p1">"Wait a minute..." Clarke paused the burgeoning outpouring of joy in the Summers' house... "The principal was not asked for her opinion.... Buffy, do you mind if we stay a little longer than we thought? We wouldn't want to impose ourselves either, we'll look for another place to stay as soon as possible so as not to bother you. "</p><p class="p1">"Of course not. Dawn's still out of town for several days in case anyone notices."</p><p class="p1">"I have room in my crypt Blondie if you want" Spike brought in a mischievous way that didn't make the tallbrown man laugh.</p><p class="p1">"We're not there yet, but thanks for offering". Clarke answered her with the same smile that didn't escape neither Bellamy nor Buffy.</p><p class="p1">"Let's celebrate." Xander cheerfully suggested, "Tomorrow night? We can go to the Bronze to show them our old debauchery place and then finish the evening here in the basement? Jasper and Monty will probably be happy to take care of the festivities."</p><p class="p1">"Absolutely!!! We will prepare our Moonshine, a special homemade recipe! You'll never want to leave after tasting this, believe me! "</p><p class="p1">"I'll pass, but I'm sure you'll have fun without me," confessed Giles, who preferred the comfort of a book in his bed to a room full of young drunks. There was a time when he used to go with them mainly to watch over them, to protect them... But they had long since learned how to look after themselves.</p><p class="p1">"I admit that with all these emotions we could do with some relief!" Clarke added. "Thank you again for everything. I was lucky to meet you! Each and every one of you. »</p><p class="p1">" All the pleasure is for us...usually the stuff that comes in here is much less fun. "Spike replied that he was getting a little too caught up in their games. Clarke didn't miss Bellamy's annoyed look and that made her laugh inside even though she was saddened by Buffy's more discreet look. But after all, she wasn't doing anything wrong, hadn't even done anything yet. Tomorrow, on the other hand, would be the perfect occasion to stage their coming together. This game was already amusing her, even if it was risky. There was something exciting about it, and it must be said that her partner in crime was far from repulsive. Of course, her heart was already set on Bellamy and would probably always be with him, but in the meantime... she had the right to have a little fun, didn't she? You could say that her reaction was really absurd! All she had to do was work her heart out for Bellamy. Instead, she was testing him in a very sneaky way that was unlike her. Clarke was an honest, straightforward person. She didn't usually beat around the bush, but when it came to Bellamy, all those certainties were shattered and her brain turned upside down.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The next day passed fairly quickly, with some people strolling around on the couch telling each other about their lives while others were busy making preparations for the evening. Also, when it came time to leave for the Bronze, everyone was suitably prepared. Octavia and Echo had been able to borrow some of Faith's old things and the look was a perfect fit for them. Spike had loaned Murphy a nice outfit that added a rocker look to his already rebellious look. Buffy had insisted on giving Bellamy the remaining stuff from her ex, Riley, because he was the same size and also seemed to have much the same simple but refined style. Finally, Clarke had once again chosen his host in the closet, a pretty midnight blue dress, simple but elegant, with a sexy neckline that made many blush. Of course, the first one to squint at it was Bellamy, who was struggling to keep his mouth closed in the face of the captivating and magnetic beauty of the pretty blonde. To say she was beautiful was an understatement, but it was when he looked into her sparkling eyes that her world really evaporated. She was the only one left. How was it possible to feel something so strong. But the real question was: how was it possible to keep this explosion of feeling to oneself.</p><p class="p1">Time froze for a few moments between our two soul mates, creating this kind of bubble where only them existed, then Jasper interrupted this moment by announcing that everything was ready and they could go. Indeed, Jasper was not yet accustomed to this implicit need for intimacy of our two soul mates, this type of moment where words were superfluous and where their hearts communicated silently.</p><p class="p1">Much to Bellamy's delight, Spike was not yet with them and would join them there. He knew he had no right to be jealous, but he couldn't help it. He didn't own her and would never actually own her. She was not the kind of girl you own. She was free, independent, and he wanted her to stay that way, with or without him. But although he was not yet able to take the small step that he would finally get them over the friendship barrier, he could not fight the fear that she would finally find better than him. For of course, he had no self-confidence...If only he knew that it was completely reciprocal and that Clarke often found herself in a pitiful state when he was with Echo. Those two were really surprising, and annoying in a way.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The expanded Scooby gang arrived at the Bronze with great joy, as our 5 friends were excited to discover a new place whose merits had been praised all day long by the regulars. Willow had told them how she had been hit on for the first time...by a vampire. And that it was somehow thanks to this event and the unhappy death of Jessy, their best friend, that they had become friends with Buffy and discovered her secret at the same time. Xander, Jasper and Monty, for their part, had told much funnier anecdotes, in their own image. They had spent a lot of time there, good and bad, it was a bit like their second home. Octavia was overexcited and knew in advance that she was going to love the place. The young brunette was intent on letting off steam and having a blast tonight. Plus they hardly knew anyone so the way was clear!</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">They took two tables glued together, one not enough, and Monty was happy to recommend the best drinks to order. Buffy wouldn't drink, she wanted to keep an eye on the party until they got home, in case a monster broke in. Bellamy decided to go with her out of politeness and also because he didn't feel that comfortable in this new and crowded place. Clarke had wanted to do the same of course, as the responsible young woman that she was, but the handsome brunette had formally ordered him to have fun.</p><p class="p1">"You deserve a drink! »</p><p class="p1">"I will need more than one. »</p><p class="p1">"So take more than one. "He replied with a teasing look that earned him a nice smile in return. He added, "Have fun while you still can! You deserve it. »</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, okay... You too, by the way. »</p><p class="p1">"I'll have fun when we get back to Buffy's house..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">So that's what she was going to do... Where the hell was Spike?</p><p class="p1">Clarke already had a few glasses down her throat when the bleached blond guy walked into the nightclub, with a rock'n'roll vibe accompanying his sexy gait. There was something hypnotic and intriguing about him, and it was hard to take your eyes off him when he was in a room, so his confidence was probably a big part of it. He was one of those mysterious people who didn't have to make a big deal out of it to be sexy.</p><p class="p1">He went towards the others, finally scattered all over the place, on the floor, on the balcony, at the bar? Only Buffy, Clarke, Bellamy and Xander were still around the table, with Xander and Clarke laughing out loud as the alcohol started to rise. Clarke's smile grew even bigger when she saw Spike arrive. She could put her plan into action, the alcohol would help her, but she didn't really need it, already under the vampire's spell and in the euphoria of the party.</p><p class="p1">"Hey guys, we're having the time of our lives, I see!" He said as he placed his arm on the killer's shoulders, who quickly pulled him away with a shoulder swipe after meeting Xander's reproving gaze. The blonde didn't let himself be disturbed and immediately directed his attention to the other blonde, who was more receptive: "Blondie, you really have a knack for choosing the right outfits, you look stunning tonight. You almost eclipse the brilliance of the disco ball." He could feel Buffy reaching out to him so he added a ladle while Clarke blushed and minced heavily... "Seriously, if you were a crime, you'd be a beauty freak... haven't those two told you yet? Every man in this room must be captivated by you. « He said to the other two men as a witness.</p><p class="p1">"He's right, the word 'radiant' is for you tonight," said Xander shyly, a little embarrassed.</p><p class="p1">Clarke then raised his head towards his apollo, waiting for him to say something... "We could stare at you forever..." he finally said, even more embarrassed than Xander. He had said "we", but it was already a good start, wasn't it? The truth is that it only partially reflected everything he was feeling. He could only see her. She eclipsed all the others and he thought that every bit of her skin he saw must have a taste of heaven and curbed the urge to put his lips on it.</p><p class="p1">This flattering compliment was enough for Clarke, who could already feel the butterflies twirling in her stomach and was trying to read the hidden meaning. But she had to pull herself together, she wanted more, she was hungry tonight, thirsty for affection, for delicacy.</p><p class="p1">The atmosphere became somewhat tense after her more or less forced confession. Clarke felt a little embarrassed and did not particularly like to be complimented, finding herself at the very least banal. About ten minutes passed while our four friends watched the young people wiggle their hips on the track. The music calmed down a bit, playing <em>Hepburn's "I Quit"</em>.</p><p class="p1">"Such a pretty flower shouldn't just stand there, come on, let's dance, I love this song, you can't refuse me. And then I'll have the chance to be on the arm of the prettiest woman of the evening...no offense killer." He charmed by extending his hand to Clarke under the annoyed gaze of Buffy, who did not react to his spade, and Bellamy.</p><p class="p1">The blonde didn't say anything, but got up and put her hand on his, following him towards the floor while remaining visible for others to look at them. He spun her around, twirled her around, and the two of them swayed to the rock rhythm of the music, whose equivocal lyrics matched the situation well. It made you wonder if he hadn't asked for this music on purpose in order to convey a subliminal message to the people concerned.</p><p class="p1">They were having fun and turning around without jumping on each other. Their behavior was not shocking until the music changed...As the vibrant notes of <em>"Over my head" by Furslide</em> began to change the mood of the room, our two accomplices naturally moved closer together, offering each other a much more languorous dance, their bodies glued together, moving to the slow rhythm of the song. If the music already had a raucous side, Spike and Clarke's sensual dance set the crowd on fire, raising the room temperature by a few degrees on its own. If their behavior was overplayed, nothing seemed to be there. On the contrary, it seemed natural, the way Clarke's body nonchalantly rubbed against Spike's with a little smile in the corner of his mouth, the last one's teasing look that captured the blonde's, reflecting a shared desire that was becoming ardent. Indeed, even our protagonists had lost the notion of the game and of reality. They were elsewhere, in their own world, no longer seeming to care about the chosen ones in their hearts. Was this wrong? Maybe it was, but in the end it didn't really betray anyone. No one except their own feelings. Bellamy and Buffy were glued to the stage, not saying a word, but trying to sort out the thoughts that were going through their heads. Anger, jealousy, sadness...These emotions were confronting and merging perfectly. To say the least, it was really not pleasant. However, it still wasn't enough to make them react.Neither one nor the other.</p><p class="p1">"The princess is having a good time, I see." Murphy's joking when she came to join them. Xander elbowed him with a reproving look that shut him up.</p><p class="p1">"Shut up, Murphy. "He sent Bellamy to him, and he was betrayed by his reaction.</p><p class="p1">The music changed once again, slowing down again to become more tender, less hot, but just as sensual, more tender: <em>"It doesn't matter" by Alison Krauss</em>.</p><p class="p1">The proximity of the two blonds crossed a limit again, everything was only millimeters between them. They spoke to each other eye to eye, intimately, too intimately for Bellamy, who wondered what they could tell each other and how far it would all go. Of course he wanted to cross the few meters that separated him from the dance floor. Of course he wanted to tear his sweetheart out of his arms and replace him. He wanted her to be his alone. He wanted her brown eyes to be his to probe, her muscular arms to caress, her waist to embrace. He considered this option anyway, all he had to do was invite her to dance in the end! And what could be more normal for two friends to share a moment like that? Except that he didn't want to hug her like a friend. No, tonight he didn't feel able to restrain himself, in fact it's been months or even years since he felt able to have this closeness with her. But to top it all off, despite this jealousy, he still didn't feel capable of revealing himself, of taking a chance, of confessing everything. And yet everything would be so much simpler.</p><p class="p1">Meanwhile, Buffy had understood the little game that our two blonds were playing with a little too much fun. But nevertheless, she couldn't help but question herself. She knew that it was Spike's kind of thing to try to make her jealous, he had already tried it more than once and it worked, but never enough, and he knew it. She didn't know Clarke well enough to know whether or not that was his intention as well. In any case, there was such an electricity between the two of them that it really bothered her this time. Maybe this time she was going to leave a feather in her cap. So she couldn't help but look at the beautiful guy with a compassionate look. Then she refocused her attention on the floor and tortured her mind again about the very interesting conversation our two accomplices seemed to have.</p><p class="p1">A few steps further on, in their bubble, Clarke and Spike wondered if their plan was working, while deep down inside they were aware that it was already going too far, without admitting it out loud, without being sure that it was a problem.</p><p class="p1">"Don't look at them, just look at me." Clarke smiled at him and obeyed without difficulty.</p><p class="p1">"It's easier than I thought it would be, and whether it works or not, I have to say I'm having a great time, you're a very good dancer. I... I feel good with you. Everything feels so easy for once."</p><p class="p1">"Frankly, I feel like I haven't danced for centuries. Not sure if they've ever actually seen me dance once. They must think it's weird."</p><p class="p1">"It's not just that they must find it strange..."</p><p class="p1">They laughed like two proud children at their foolishness, but the seriousness of the moment quickly caught up with them.</p><p class="p1">"It doesn't seem to be motivating them at the moment." The blonde noticed the blonde a little more seriously.</p><p class="p1">"You know what? Who cares, right? I'm having a good time, you're having a good time. In the end, that's what matters. Maybe if we really have a good time, and I'm already having a good time, I don't force myself at all; it will be felt and we'll take it a little more seriously. I suspect that Buffy can see through our little game... Even if the idea comes from you, she knows me and knows that I'm more than capable of it. But she also needs to see that it's different this time. This is natural."</p><p class="p1">Clarke looked into his partner's dark eyes, and it didn't take him long to nod. "You're right ».</p><p class="p1">She plunged her head into the hollow of his neck and let herself be carried away by the soft and somewhat sad rhythm of the music. The truth is that she needed this closeness. She never admitted as an independent woman that she was showing herself, but sometimes she just needed to feel protected, cuddled, to feel that she had someone. Of course, she wanted that person to be Bellamy, it was her dearest wish. But how to make her best friend understand that without risking losing him for good or putting the brakes on their relationship. She had the young man's vital need in her life, he was her pillar. What she felt about him was indefinable. She loved him more than a friend, more than a brother, and perhaps even more than a woman can love her husband. She loved him unconditionally, and that love forced her to wait for the right moment, for the sake of their relationship, and for his sake. His happiness was precious to her. That's why she had pretended to accept her relationship with Echo without any worries, as she cried every night with her head in her pillow, imagining what he was doing at that moment.</p><p class="p1">So yes, tonight was one of those vulnerable moments when the young woman needed affection the most. She had had a good time with the vampire she thought was cool and, it must be said, charismatic and sexy. And it seemed to be mutual. Maybe it was the right time to link the useful with the pleasurable and to let herself be tempted, to let herself be overwhelmed by an emotion quite different from the interminable wait she was constantly experiencing. Just forget about it, for an evening, or maybe even for a few days. Why not?</p><p class="p1">So, without thinking too much, she detached her head from the neck of the blond man, also in the clouds, not really used to being shown attention and even more, tenderness. Their eyes connected, not as she connected to Bellamy's soul when he looked at her, no, she knew that she would never find this feeling with anyone, but enough for each of them to be able to guess the other's desires and silently nod.</p><p class="p1">And at that moment, under the alarmed and displeased looks of the chosen ones of their hearts still frozen in their armchairs, Clarke stepped forward to put his lips on Spike's, crossing a new limit. Damn it, she was kissing a vampire! If she had been told that ten days earlier, she would never have believed it. This made the adrenaline rush a little more and their kiss became a little more intense and languid. Clarke grabbed him by the collar and deepened their kiss.In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, all she desperately needed at that moment was to feel something, anything. To say that they had feelings would be too much, no, there was no love in that kiss, only desire, warmth, comfort...a certain kind of well-being and appeasement. They just felt alive.</p><p class="p1">They were in their bubble, forgetting the object of their plan for a few moments, letting themselves go... Which was absolutely not the case for all the others, really shocked. Because Buffy and Bellamy weren't the only ones who were captivated by what was going on. No, each member of the little group was now looking at the track, some shocked, some amused, some even feeling a certain satisfaction, for example Willow, reassured that Spike wasn't hovering around her friend this time, or Echo and Murphy, who thought it wouldn't hurt Clarke to loosen up a little, it made her a little funkier for a change. Octavia didn't know what to think, happy that her friend was having a good time in the arms of an incredibly sexy vampire, it had to be said, but sad for her brother, because she knew that it would break his heart, and it was not much to say. But after all, he should have made a move, shouldn't he? Clarke had just as much right to have fun as everyone else. To her, Bellamy thought of her as his best friend, nothing more. She didn't betray anyone. No one but herself, her own heart.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy...he had just been stabbed in the heart and the worst part was that he could only blame himself somehow. The sight of his lady kissing another man disgusted him more than ever and yet he couldn't force himself to look away. He didn't blame her, no, he had no right to, he felt guilty. It should be him on that dance floor, his lips glued to his own. He had sensed this strange coming together, even though he didn't suspect for a moment that it would go that far. And yet once again he hadn't moved a finger. He should have told her that she was his whole life, that she wasn't just his best friend. He should have ... He swallowed the ball that had just formed at the back of her throat and tried to come to his senses. He tried to tell himself that he didn't need her and that one day it would come true. But he knew in his heart that it was impossible.</p><p class="p1">Buffy, on the other hand, seemed inert. He knew that deep down she probably felt the same pain he did. If she did, she didn't let it show. Perhaps she must have been used to it... He too was used to it, he had seen her kissing a few boys and also a few girls over the years. He had consoled her when her stories ended, cursing whoever had hurt her. He himself had allowed himself one or two relationships, but mostly one-night stands. But this time, when he felt so close and yet so far away, it was more devastating than ever. One more vampire? She could have chosen better, couldn't she? Ok Spike had a certain charm in his atypical style, but still? He wasn't like him at all! Was that his style as a man? No, he knew she didn't have one. Man or woman, Clarke had no preference, she went by feeling... And seeing the nightmarish scene in front of him, the feeling seemed to pass between those two. Maybe another sign that it shouldn't go any further between them? This idiot Bellamy is really not good at deciphering signs, to say the least. Clarke's plan had just gone horribly wrong.</p><p class="p1">Luckily for him, the music, and by the same token the damn kiss, were abruptly interrupted by the bloody throat cut of the guitarist. And yes, a group of 7 vampires had just taken the Bronze hostage, once again, with the aim of drinking the blood of each of the people present. It was almost routine in Sunnydale. Buffy quickly noticed that they must have been new here, because: 1, they didn't seem to have seen or recognized him, 2, everyone knows that you don't attack a place where the killer is nearby. The Bronze in addition? This place had been stormed so often that it had become almost boring for Buffy to fight inside, she did it mechanically, like a cashier passes the items at the supermarket. Okay, now that routine was more than welcome. Perfect timing for HIS vampire to take his paws and especially his tongue out of his new friend.</p><p class="p1">She hastened to eliminate them one by one, with the help of Willow and Tara to contain the others. Spike sprayed some of them as well, revealing her monstrous face. Jasper and Monty were about to cut off the head of the last one, but young Blake went ahead of them, driving a stake through his heart from behind.</p><p class="p1">"Well done!"</p><p class="p1">"I told you, I'm a fast learner." Octavia replied confidently.</p><p class="p1">"I think it's time to finish the night at Buffy's, we've had enough action for tonight, I think. "Jasper announced as she joined the others.</p><p class="p1">"That's right, it's time to go!" Bellamy nodded quickly, trying to avoid Clarke's gaze. He was more shocked by the little scene on the dance floor than by the blood and dust that followed.</p><p class="p1">Buffy nodded her head. Willow and Tara undertook a spell of forgetfulness so that those present could forget the shock of the evening...Once again for many of them.</p><p class="p1">The Scooby gang therefore took the direction of the exit. The atmosphere was tense for some, euphoric for others...while others were shocked, amused or even admiring. Everyone had experienced this evening differently.</p><p class="p1">"I'll meet you there, I took my motorcycle." Informa Spike as everyone seemed to be laughing at him... or almost: "Wait." Clarke stopped him, causing a small pinch in Bellamy's stomach. "Can I come with you? I'm beginning to get a taste for this machine of doom, and with all that adrenaline, a little walk will clear my head."</p><p class="p1">Buffy and Bellamy didn't even turn around.</p><p class="p1">"Hey, you lucky!!! Leave some to the others! I too would have liked to take a ride on his beautiful machine! "Octavia exclaimed as her brother shook his head in exasperation. A very different image also formed in the young man's mind. His younger sister really didn't realize his double meanings. Or maybe he was the one with the twisted mind...Especially tonight. Anyway.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry, but the Princess has already asked... Next time without fail." He answered her with a little wink that seemed to be enough for the brunette.</p><p class="p1">Princess...Who did he think he was to steal the nickname he gave Clarke. Only he called her Princess...And for someone else to do so would drive him crazy.</p><p class="p1">He turned around sharply and began to move towards the other side: "Come on, let's go before someone else gets us.</p><p class="p1">"Yep! Let's get the Moonshine afloat!" Jasper's follow-up to relax the atmosphere.</p><p class="p1">Clarke sat behind Spike and the bike started. It tightened a little more around his waist when he passed in front of the tall brown guy, put his head on Spike's back.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy continued to move forward while watching the motorcycle move away until it was out of reach, the ball in his stomach getting bigger and bigger. Clarke had obviously decided to have a good time, with someone else...He couldn't help it anyway, could he?</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The small band arrived at the Summers', Spike and Clarke still absent. Bellamy's disappointment did not escape his youngest daughter: "By dint of waiting, it will end up passing under your nose, even if I strongly doubt it," she said. She's just like you. You're both pathetic. »</p><p class="p1">"What do you mean by that?"</p><p class="p1">"I mean I don't think it's very serious. I mean, of course Spike's totally hot." Bellamy rolled his eyes... "But I don't think it's that serious. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think those two are just stringing you along for you and Buffy to react." She continued as her older brother stared at her with a dubious look on his face. "Okay maybe they're playing their game really well or maybe they're just slightly attracted to each other. But I think the main purpose is to make you jealous. And on you, it works according to your funeral face. And you know what else? It's good for you. Just move around a little bit instead of just eating her eyes!"</p><p class="p1">"Octavia, will you help me choose the music?" Jasper challenged him, which ended his monologue, leaving Bellamy alone in reflection.</p><p class="p1">Fortunately, the two friends soon arrived, opening the front door with a burst of laughter that seemed only natural. If Octavia had almost convinced him, all his hopes had just been shattered by a simple burst of laughter.</p><p class="p1">Murphy, after looking at his brooding friend, said, "Well! What took you so long? Aren't those things supposed to go faster than your feet? I didn't know you liked to ride those big things... "</p><p class="p1">Clarke stopped laughing and got back to her serious, looking radiant: "Yeah, since we were ahead of schedule, Spike offered to take me to the heights of the city to admire the city and the lights of the night".</p><p class="p1">"How nice of him." Couldn't help but intervene Buffy sarcastically before going back to the kitchen to finish making the snacks.</p><p class="p1">"You're gonna be a real queen of the night, Clarke, if this keeps up." Murphy continued with his eternal sarcastic tone.</p><p class="p1">"Heyhey ... But yeah who knows? Maybe I'll even get him to bite me." The blonde's well-placed repartee was enough to silence Murphy for good, beaten at his own game, but it came as a real shock to Bellamy that it didn't make him laugh at all. The only one who seemed amused, even admiring, was Spike. And that annoyed the handsome brunette even more, who got up furiously without being able to control himself and left the room.</p><p class="p1">Murphy watched his friend sadly leave the room and set out to follow him, leaving our accomplices alone.</p><p class="p1">"Looks like it's starting to pay off."</p><p class="p1">"Or not. I don't feel like I'm really pissing him off anymore, disappointing him."</p><p class="p1">"That's the whole point of Blondie jealousy, of course he's disappointed and angry. I'd be angry too if I were him."</p><p class="p1">Clarke smiles at him. "Maybe, but honestly, knowing him, I finally think it's going to hold him back more than anything else. Maybe I'm going to lose him for good. I was stupid to think that would help. I should have had a better ring around it. Being with someone else has never worked before..."</p><p class="p1">"At least you tried. And admit that you and I had a great time tonight."</p><p class="p1">"Yes, that's for sure. Besides, whatever happens. It's too late to make up for it tonight. So, let's continue our little game until the end of the evening. Tomorrow it will be time to put the brakes on. But I'd like to continue this evening like this for now. It makes me feel good to be close to someone. I missed it. I feel like I'm betraying him, but after all, I'm not doing anything wrong"..."</p><p class="p1">"I totally feel the same way. It's been a long time since anyone's had a good time with me for who I really am, assuming it." He paused and stared at her with his beautiful azure eyes. "I think that in the long run, I might end up really falling in love with you. I'm not saying that I am, but I might be... in the not-too-distant future."</p><p class="p1">Clarke looked down, uncomfortable, but touched. She, too, thought that if this continued, she could become sincerely attached to the man. Maybe even more than she had become attached to Finn or Niylah. He would never replace Bellamy, that was impossible. The place that was reserved for him was special and could never be taken, in this life as in any other. She felt it. But still, she could be charmed by the vampire and give him a special place in her life. After all, she wasn't going to spend her whole life alone moping around waiting for Bellamy to make the first move. She could do it on her own, would you say? Yes, that's the whole point.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Sabrina, who had managed to sneak into the house discreetly through a window, shook her little cat's head in disgust. It was really not where she wanted to end up. In the end, she may have ruined everything.</p><p class="p1">Spike and Clarke joined the rest of the gang, scattered between the kitchen and the living room, chatting and cheerfully toasting.</p><p class="p1">Tens of minutes went by without Bellamy finding the tip of her pretty nose. Although Clarke decided to enjoy his evening, he couldn't help but wonder if he was all right. His evening companion felt it: "Go see him, you might be more relaxed after that."</p><p class="p1">" Thanks, you're right."</p><p class="p1">She got up to look for her friend, thinking that Spike was definitely a gentleman despite all the bad things that others seemed to think of him. She saw only the good in him, and he knew that was just what he needed. Buffy was a fool not to realize this. But who was she to judge her? After all, she was far from being a master in the art of relationships. Maybe it's easier to see things clearly when the intensity of feelings doesn't blur the picture. Maybe she loved Bellamy too much, so much that it became unhealthy and unbreathable.</p><p class="p1">She walked around the house, up and down...No Bellamy. She was starting to worry now.</p><p class="p1">"If you're looking for him, he's out there." Clarke turned to Echo's voice as she looked at her and smiled. The two young women had never really been close, perhaps they had even despised each other at one time. But that was all over and in the end they had much more in common than it seemed.</p><p class="p1">"Thank you.</p><p class="p1">"You didn't spare him." She says without malice.</p><p class="p1">"What do you mean by that?"</p><p class="p1">"I think you know exactly what I mean. I'll admit you bluffed me. Unfortunately, you'll have to do something else to make him move..."</p><p class="p1">"I..."</p><p class="p1">"Why do you think I left him? I deserve better than someone who has his heart already taken. Even if he's too stubborn to take it." Clarke couldn't answer. "And then... I realized something when I came here... with Willow and Tara... I... I think I love women too, maybe even more than men actually."</p><p class="p1">"Oh."</p><p class="p1">"Yeah...Wow, it feels good to finally say it out loud. I didn't think I'd say it to you first, but...I'm glad I did. Besides, you understand me."</p><p class="p1">"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone until you're ready. I'm glad you trust me enough to confide in me. You're a good person, Echo. "</p><p class="p1">"Come on, go find him... You two should really go see him." She shyly smiled at him and left to join the others as Clarke walked to the back of the house.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Bellamy was there, sitting on the steps, looking at the stars with a sullen look that didn't spoil anything of his natural beauty, quite the contrary. He was beautiful because he had never been afraid to be fragile and vulnerable. He didn't care what was manly or not. He was just him, whole, real, with his strengths and weaknesses, and that's what gave Clarke the budding flowers in his chest. There, in the moonlight, pensive, he was even more magnificent. Clarke allowed himself to remain discreet and withdrawn for a few minutes to admire him. This man was perfect. She loved him unconditionally and this love tortured her. She was usually autonomous and had never been afraid of his choices, for this one she was terrorized. She cherished her relationship with Bellamy, she needed him in her life, there or anywhere else. He was her home, her comfort zone. She was so afraid of losing everything. More than anything else, she wanted their relationship to evolve, to become one with him, but she didn't want to risk ruining it. She had tried something today, and it didn't work, she was disappointed. She had seen it in his eyes. She could say that she wanted to have fun, because she had the right to...The truth is that she felt guilty and she didn't want to disappoint him. She had to make things right.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"Hey..." She walked towards the young man and landed next to him.</p><p class="p1">"Hey..."</p><p class="p1">They stood there silently for a few moments. Silence had never been a problem between them. They knew how to appreciate these little moments of quiet, simply savoring the reassuring presence of the other. But this time, silence was not comfortable. There was such a heavy silence between them. Every word they were too afraid to utter blocked them, implicitly pushing them away from each other like an invisible wall. If Clarke was determined to make things right, no words now dared to come out of her mouth.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"So, you and the vampire?" Clarke found herself frozen and could only stare at him, confused and guilty. His voice was almost a whisper. Bellamy was afraid that his heart was beating so fast that his friend would hear it." I mean, I'm not judging you. If you're happy I'm happy for you... Just...take care of yourself. I don't trust him, and I'm not just saying that because he has fangs."</p><p class="p1">She should have empathized, reassured herself, reassured him...But suddenly all her good resolutions were broken. She didn't know why, but she was angry now. Yet he had taken care to speak softly, without aggression or any judgment. But that didn't change anything. She was angry inside. Already because he was allowing himself to judge Spike without really bothering to take an interest in him, and she had no doubt that he was a good person deep down inside. But mostly, because if he was jealous, he would again shut off those feelings and take it upon himself to accept the situation. And that was the last straw.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, so I have your blessing then?" She said condescendingly.</p><p class="p1">"Do you need it?"</p><p class="p1">"Not really, no, but apparently you think you have the right to judge me? If you mind, just tell me. You know that your opinion matters to me..." she didn't have time to finish her sentence.</p><p class="p1">"Funny way of showing it..."</p><p class="p1">"You know what? You're right! For once, I decided to act without thinking about what others will think, what YOU will think. And yet I can't help it, I need your approval, I need to know that you agree. And that pisses me off! Do you understand what I'm saying? "</p><p class="p1">"No, I don't understand! That's the problem."</p><p class="p1">"I don't understand you either..." She answered beside the plate without really remembering the reason for her anger. However, she softened: "How can you be so close to me and you and I be so far apart? Sometimes I have the impression that I read a book in you and that it' s reciprocal, but other times... It's just total chaos. I would like to know what you think, and at the same time, I don't want to know. I'm fucking complicated."</p><p class="p1">"That's why you're so charming, Princess." He smiles at her. What if it was the right time to tell her how he really felt? Okay, she seemed upset, annoyed, angry, but sad at the same time. And yet, it was at times like this that he had the least trouble giving himself away. Anger helps say things.</p><p class="p1">"Clarke..." He had this way of saying his name as if it were the most precious word in the universe.</p><p class="p1">"Bellamy, you're my best friend, I'm sorry if I got carried away, I don't even know why. Your opinion means a lot to me and I hate to disappoint you..." Best friend...</p><p class="p1">"You will never disappoint me, no matter what you do Princess. I promise you. It's not your fault." Although if it was, and even if she did it on purpose. He loved her with all his strength and fragility. All his rage and his madness, her own way of getting angry at him without him understanding why. He had never been afraid of the tears behind her smile, nor of her laughter in the few tears she sometimes allowed herself to shed.</p><p class="p1">"If I lost you..."</p><p class="p1">"I would never..."</p><p class="p1">He simply, intensely hugged her, but nothing strange compared to usual. Of course he put all his love into it, but he had always done so. He needed her like a satellite needs a star to put itself into orbit. He needed her like the heart needs the head. He just needed her, selfishly, unjustly even. He needed her, because without her he felt lost. He felt adrift in an endless galaxy of stars that were not her. And it was tearing him apart from the inside. And even then, it was his cowardice that finished him off.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"Hey, there you are!" Jasper interrupted them drunk off their asses. "Sorry to bother you, but...Haaaaaaaa"</p><p class="p1">The green gate had just formed again, right there in front of their eyes, taking Jasper away without his asking.</p><p class="p1">"Oh God, it's happening again!"</p><p class="p1">"Jasper!!!"</p><p class="p1">The two soul mates looked at each other, shocked.</p><p class="p1">"What do we do now?"</p><p class="p1">"What the hell... Oh fuck!" Xander had just come out, probably attracted by the blinding greenish light under the porch.</p><p class="p1">"That's our tunnel, he just took Jasper."</p><p class="p1">"Guys, you should come see this. "Call Xander.</p><p class="p1">The rest of the gang soon joined them.</p><p class="p1">"What the hell happened?" Buffy asked. She must have been stunned by the supernatural apparition.</p><p class="p1">"We don't know, we were talking, Jasper came out and the gate came out of nowhere and took him away, just like last time.</p><p class="p1">"Jasper? Gotta go get him!" Monty walked towards the green circle with a determined step.</p><p class="p1">"Hold on, wait. We're going to go there, this could be our way home. We have to go back anyway. We'll bring him back to you. We'll find a way. "Octavia said to him.</p><p class="p1">"I know we will, but Jasper is all I have, he's like my brother, I can't leave him there alone. I'm coming with you, whether you want to or not. I'm going. »</p><p class="p1">Buffy looked at him and nodded: " I'd love to come, but..."</p><p class="p1">"No, stay here, we don't know where it leads or how it works. It's one thing for Monty to come, I can understand that. But don't risk your lives any more, you've already done enough for us and people need you here. We'll look for Jasper and we'll take care of them." Bellamy advised.</p><p class="p1">Monty quickly embraced each of his friends. "I'm going to miss you guys. May we meet again."</p><p class="p1">Everyone said goodbye in their own way. Clarke thanked Buffy who wished him well and lingered a little on Spike who hugged her friendly and whispered, "It was a pleasure to meet you...Be careful...And don't ruin it...".</p><p class="p1">"Neither do you. You deserve beautiful things, never doubt it."</p><p class="p1">And so our travelers, accompanied by Monty, went back to the gate, not knowing where they were going to be taken, praying that it would be to their world. Everyone had passed through, but the gate closed only after a strange black cat had also passed through it.</p><p class="p1">"It's weird, that cat looks familiar, it's been hanging around a lot lately, hasn't it?" Willow remarked as Tara shrugged.</p><p class="p1">Everyone went inside, leaving Buffy and Spike alone on the porch.</p><p class="p1">The blond guy took Buffy by the shoulder: "Come on, Summers, we can't do anything more for them anyway."</p><p class="p1">"You look pretty serene for someone who seemed to really like our new friend. Won't you miss her? »</p><p class="p1">"That's what it's all about! Are you jealous, love?"</p><p class="p1">"I know it was just a game..."</p><p class="p1">"Well yes, and no. Believe it or not, it started out as a bad plan, but then we finally realized that we really liked each other, that the game was simple. I even told her that in time I might be completely crazy about her."</p><p class="p1">Buffy was seized by this surprising confession, even hurt. Spike thought it was time to add something else:</p><p class="p1">"But apparently fate had decided otherwise. These two are obviously made for each other. As obvious as you are the chosen one in my heart, whether you like it or not."</p><p class="p1">Buffy looked at him tenderly and approached his lips. She kissed him gently, taking his face in her hands.</p><p class="p1">He stood back and looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time: "Beware love, someone might see us..."</p><p class="p1">"I know, I think it's time I took responsibility for my feelings. I've realized that in the last few days. Life has many surprises in store for us. The truth is that I really care about you and I shouldn't hide from it. You make me happy Spike. If it's a mistake I'll deal with it, but my friends have to accept it. I have come to understand that not every story is supposed to be perfect, not every chapter is supposed to be peaceful or enjoyable. Some encounters some experiences only last a few days, a few hours. Others are meant to last for years, even a lifetime. Some encounters cross your path to show you what you shouldn't do again. Others contribute to your inner peace. When you stop chasing fairy tales, when you see each experience for what it is... many frustrations and pains fade and disappear. And if some chapters are not extraordinary, our story could be unique and beautiful in its own way."</p><p class="p1">"I will support you no matter what. In the meantime, can you put your lips on mine?"</p><p class="p1">She didn't ask for more. Clarke and Bellamy might not have found a solution. This world was probably not meant for them after all. But, thanks to them, two hearts had been unveiled, and their bond with them had once again been solidified. Together they could overcome everything, forgive each other.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. None of us are saints, but we are the Elite.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"Wow it was pretty intense, but I expected more thrill..." Monty sighed after his first time in the Anomaly.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, it always does that the first time! And unlike sex, it doesn't get better with experience..." Murphy replied with a wink and a pat on the shoulder.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy approached the Asian guy with a hand on his shoulder: "Are you okay? It was a very brave decision..."</p><p class="p1">"Jasper is all I have. There was no other decision to make."</p><p class="p1">"I understand you... More than I probably should..." He replied, following Clarke with his eyes. </p><p class="p1">This last one moved towards the edge of the platform on which they seemed to have landed, in the middle of the night.</p><p class="p1">"What the fuck? Holy shit!" Clarke shouted, backing away sharply. "We're on the roof of a building."</p><p class="p1">Octavia approached the edge without shivering..." Yeah, and apparently this isn't Sunnydale or Greendale... And from the signs in the stores and restaurants downstairs... This is Latin America or Spain, guys!"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah... I've heard that latinos are muy caliente..." Murphy rubs his hands together..."Who's up for more?"</p><p class="p1">The others didn't have time to respond, as Monty proudly announced, "I've found the way down."</p><p class="p1">"Those kinds of doors are always locked from the inside..." Echo grumbled.</p><p class="p1">"That's right, but that was before I cracked it."</p><p class="p1">"Well done! I'm suddenly even happier that you're coming with us." Octavia smiled and clapped her hand.</p><p class="p1">He opened the door and they took the stairs. The building looked high, and to say the least, it was a luxury building. No sooner had they walked down a few steps than they heard a rhythmic music with bass beats on the walls.</p><p class="p1">"It sounds like we're in a dance club...wherever there's at least one in the building."</p><p class="p1">"We could have fallen worse! And at least we're dressed for it! It won't take us out of the country too much!" Octavia rejoices a little too quickly.</p><p class="p1">"Well... Personally, I'm a bit fed up with parties." Bellamy growled in his teeth.</p><p class="p1">Clarke heard him, and she approached him and whispered in his ear, "I promise this one will go better if we have to stay. I won't do anything to disappoint you. »</p><p class="p1">"Our priority is to find Jasper anyway! "Monty step in.</p><p class="p1">"I agree! We're going to have to interview those present... Do any of you speak Spanish?"</p><p class="p1">"Nope."</p><p class="p1">"Un poco..." Echo smiled as the others looked at her... I have distant relatives in Brazil." She thought it was good to justify.</p><p class="p1">They arrived at the floor where the music seemed to come from and prepared to push the door.</p><p class="p1">It was indeed a nightclub, a luxury disco... Champagne was flowing and the skirts of the girls were shorter and tighter than each other. Bodies were squeezing together on the runway and the lines of cocaine were snorting faster than a blink. The atmosphere was caliente, that was the word, but it was also rather cold and haughty.</p><p class="p1">"It stinks of money and excess here... I love it." Murphy announced as they all scanned the main hall.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy shook his head.</p><p class="p1">"I thought we had the right outfits... We totally suck next to them!" Octavia added.</p><p class="p1">"Whoo-hoo! Look who's here at last!"</p><p class="p1">"Jasper????"</p><p class="p1">"In the flesh and in alcohol, friends! I wish I could tell you that I was looking forward to you, but... I'm actually quite comfortable here!"</p><p class="p1">Jasper seemed completely stoned and at ease, accompanied by a tall brown guy with curly hair who was in a much more pitiful state.</p><p class="p1">"Monty? You made it." This seemed to bring him to his senses and he threw himself into the arms of his best friend. The friendly, but intense embrace brought a smile to the whole gang.</p><p class="p1">"Hmmm... Will you introduce me to this new fresh meat?" The brown boy coughed, struggling to articulate. Hey, but... how did he understand it?</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, excuse me... Guys, this is Valerio, my new friend with whom I've been having fun all night!"</p><p class="p1">"Valerio, this is Bellamy Clarke Octavia Echo Murphy and Monty, my friends."</p><p class="p1">« Hey, you see they haven't abandoned you!"</p><p class="p1">"Did you really think they'd let you go, that I wouldn't follow you?" Monty asked him, taken aback.</p><p class="p1">"No, but with the time difference and all... I wasn't sure of anything.</p><p class="p1">"How long have you been here?" Clarke asked.</p><p class="p1">"Uh. Valerio, what do you say we order a new bottle to celebrate my friends' arrival? We'll meet you at the table in a minute."</p><p class="p1">The curly brunette obeyed without hesitation, allowing Jasper to speak more freely.</p><p class="p1">"I lost track of time a little bit, but I think I got here early in the afternoon. I waited on the roof for a few hours, completely panicked. When it got dark, I was starting to freeze up and thought you might be several days late, like with Clarke. So I tampered with the door and went downstairs when the box had just opened. Luckily, I soon ran into Valerio who wanted to see some new faces and relax... And that's where I am now! This guy is insane...He's so perched up that I can tell him the truth without him being shocked. He introduced me to his sister and other people. Some are more unsympathetic than others, but I'm having a blast."</p><p class="p1">They all looked at him with eyes wide open.</p><p class="p1">"Jasper, do you know where we are?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, we're in Madrid!!!! And you know what? I've never spoken a word of Spanish and I understand and speak with everyone as if they speak our language! It's crazy, but totally cool! "</p><p class="p1">"I confess! It's a nice little goody made in Anomaly!" Murphy added as Echo rolled his eyes.</p><p class="p1">"All this is very interesting, but... back to square one! We have to find a way to get out of here! "Bellamy exclaimed, raising his voice to cover the sound of the music.</p><p class="p1">"Listen big brother, if it's like last time, we have nothing else to do but wait, right? Jasper's high, we're all in party mode and there doesn't seem to be anything supernatural or monstrous here except us and these awful sequined dresses? So I don't know about you guys, but whatever we do or don't do, it's gonna have to wait until tomorrow. Jasper's buddy is obviously loaded and willing to give us a big gulp all night... Let's just enjoy it, shall we?"</p><p class="p1">"For once, mini Blake, I totally agree with you!"</p><p class="p1">Everyone raised their eyes to the sky and smiled.</p><p class="p1">"I admit that I wouldn't mind a few drinks to get through all these emotions. It's not really my kind of place, but if Jasper can have a good time...I think it'll do the trick."</p><p class="p1">"Okay...We don't really have a choice anyway. Let's try to be as discreet as possible! Let's not get too far away from each other." Clarke added.</p><p class="p1">"Come on Jasper, come and introduce us to this pretty little world of spoiled children..."</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The little band let Jasper lead them through this atmosphere where excess reigned supreme, and they hadn't seen anything yet. Indeed, they quickly found the famous Valerio, sitting at the table with a few other people, except that he was neither sitting nor around the table like everyone else... He was kneeling on the table, bent backwards and two pretty redheads pouring champagne on his chest while he was laughing out loud. It didn't seem to shock anyone, that's what surprised our friends the most except Jasper who seemed already well used to and completely at ease with this crazy atmosphere. The only person who seemed exhausted was the pretty brunette who was sitting in the chair next to him and rolling her eyes in annoyance. What struck Clarke first as they got closer was the beauty and class of each of these people...Well ok, Valerio had nothing elegant so far, but she didn't like to judge at first sight and everyone had the right to let off a little bit of steam from time to time...It wasn't her behavior a few hours earlier that would allow her to say otherwise. And if the young man seemed to have no limits, his companions were very calm, even tense for some of them.</p><p class="p1">Murphy, for his part, only had eyes for the charming blonde who pinched her lips and turned her back on a little brown boy who seemed less stilted than the others. The young woman had a class that radiated naturally, she single-handedly eclipsed each of the other women in the room, although they were no less pretty no? But she was special. Her big green eyes and long blonde hair amplified her remarkable innate beauty. But beyond that, Murphy could detect a great strength of character and an intelligence that wasn't to be proven. She attracted him. That was a fact. Murphy loved beautiful women, he loved to have fun. But in this case, he knew she was clearly out of his league. So it only made him more competitive. If he took on that challenge, he knew he'd never forget it. In every sense of the word. It was very clear that this was the kind of girl you only meet once and that leaves an indelible mark. Whatever happens in that world, John Murphy would not leave it without having tasted that sulphurous apparition.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"Heyhey...My new friends! Come and meet them!" Valerio called out to them, their hair dripping with champagne. Jasper hurried to join them. He seemed to know them already. Of course, he must have been with them for a good part of the evening...</p><p class="p1">Valerio wanted to get up and tried to stand up to make the introductions... Except that he wobbled and hit his head on the chair. The shock wasn't very bad, but it was enough to knock him out because of his pitiful state. By reflex, Clarke ran towards him completely panicked.</p><p class="p1">"Oh don't worry, it happens a lot and it won't hurt to take a little nap! He was starting to enter his unmanageable phase." Reassured a beautiful brunette in spite of her disdainful look." I'm Lu, by the way, the half-sister of this big jerk."</p><p class="p1">"Clarke, nice to meet you."</p><p class="p1">"Well, I see I'll have to make the introductions myself..." Clarke, you already know Lucrecia, Valerio's half-sister, as she just announced. And here are Samuel, Guzman, Carla, Ander, Rebecca, Nadia... And the very nice barman over there is Omar, Nadia's brother. They kindly welcomed me in their group for the evening... And these are my friends: Clarke, Bellamy, Octavia, Murphy, Echo and Monty..."</p><p class="p1">No one says a word as our newest arrivals are being scrutinized from head to toe by Jasper's new buddies. They seemed to be judging whether or not they were worthy of sitting at their table, much less welcoming and friendly than Valerio. Only Samuel and Nadia seemed less hostile, as if they understood them. This awkward silence irritated Octavia, who broke the silence: "Well, it was nice of you to look after Jasper while we were away. He seems to have had a great evening, but we won't be intruding and disturbing you any longer, don't worry. Let's go?" She ended by addressing her brother as Murphy looked like a beaten dog, taking one last look at the object of her desire.</p><p class="p1">"Wait...Stay! We are fucking bored out of our minds tonight! Seeing new faces won't hurt!" Assured Rebecca, smiling more than all the others put together.</p><p class="p1">"It's true, we could really use some fresh meat around here. The ones we already know can be boring as hell..." Carla raises her bid by looking at Samuel. A strange tension emerged between the two of them.</p><p class="p1">The latter in turn took the floor when he stood up." It was nice to meet you, but I have to go home, the air is getting stuffy in here." He said, looking at the blonde with a piercing gaze." If someone wants to take my place, please don't let him get in the way. Maybe we'll see each other some other day if you're not disgusted by this evening..." Then he left straight ahead without turning around.</p><p class="p1">"Samuel is waiting..." Rebbecca ran after him...</p><p class="p1">Okay. The atmosphere was definitely far from the glitter and rhinestones of their first impression.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry, don't get formal. Come and sit down. There's plenty of room for everyone here." Nadia finally smiled at them.</p><p class="p1">"Yes, of course. Sit down! "continued Guzman, who seemed to follow her friend's advice.</p><p class="p1">Murphy hastened to choose his place first... Right in front of the beautiful Carla, of course. He knew it was the best place to get her attention without looking heavy. This kind of girl had to be tamed with gentleness and subtlety otherwise she would only take one bite out of him, although he wouldn't mind that either. Clarke and Bellamy looked at each other and looked up to the skies, well aware of their friend's attentions.</p><p class="p1">"Ander, ask your boyfriend to give us 3/4 bottle of his best champagne on Valerio's bill, please! After all, this idiot wanted us to have fun...so let's have fun on his account!"</p><p class="p1">Ander rolled his eyes, but did so.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">It took several glasses of champagne for the atmosphere to relax. The two worlds that collided were very different even if there was nothing supernatural about it. None of our travelers had been used to living in this lust. Clarke came from a well-to-do family, but her character had naturally distanced her from the company of her surroundings and she fled from excesses like the plague. She greatly preferred the company of her more modest, simple and natural friends. However, she was still familiar with the world of bling bling, which she rejected. So that evening, it was with great difficulty that she tried to make herself comfortable and enjoy the evening. She was already missing Sunnydale and her new friends despite all the dangers there were.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy se doutait bien de ce qu'elle ressentait. Il avait cette même aversion pour ce monde de riche. C'était d'ailleurs à cause de ça que le début de leur relation avait été si tumultueux. Pour lui, ce n'était qu'une Princesse trop gâtée, née avec une cuillère en argent dans la bouche, qui avait sous la main tout ce que lui n'aurait jamais, tout ce qu'il ne pourrait jamais offrir à sa soeur. Il lui avait fallu quelque temps pour s'apercevoir que Clarke était tout l'inverse. Néanmoins, c'était resté sa "Princess", because this nickname suited her so well in the end when it no longer had any negative connotations.</p><p class="p1">Monty tried to catch up with his best friend as quickly as possible. He and Jasper were totally stoned and couldn't be more at ease in a world that was not theirs at all, surrounded by people who seemed to silently despise them.</p><p class="p1">Echo was devouring Lucrecia's eyes as discreetly as possible, but it did not escape Clarke's attention and he was now aware of his little secret. It had to be said that the brunette and her plague-like air were really captivating. She was almost frightening, even if one could perceive a great uneasiness behind her icy lines.</p><p class="p1">Octavia was in great conversation with Nadia and also seemed not to perceive the class difference between the two groups, blending in perfectly and having a little more fun after each sip. She even ended up on the dance floor. Far from sticking to the style of the place, she was not discreet and all eyes were focused on her, most of them captivated. Bellamy really didn't like it, seeing the desire burning in the eyes of all those father's sons made her nauseous. It quickly reminded him of the awful feeling he had a few hours earlier and the image of the kiss between Clarke and Spike came back to him.</p><p class="p1">As if Clarke had read his thoughts perfectly, she leaned over to him: "Come on, come with me, we're going to join them".</p><p class="p1">"I'm not super motivated to dance in this jungle...but you go."</p><p class="p1">"You're never motivated to dance anyway. But I won't go if you don't come. I want to spend this evening by your side. Besides, you could better watch the gestures of all Octavia's suitors if you are at her side, couldn't you? We're stuck here, so we might as well take advantage of it a little. I hate this place as much as you do, believe me. So, let's face it as best we can. Maybe two of us can make it easier... together." She smiles confidently at him, and that's enough to get her pretty little butt out of her chair and follow her to Octavia and the others.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The evening then proceeded relatively normally for our travelers. Only Murphy had a very specific goal in mind and it can be said that his plan was working perfectly. In front of the pretty Carla, who did not move from her couch, he had a perfect view of her vertiginous cleavage (which he only allowed himself to ogle when he was sure she would not see him). It must be said that Murphy was really talented, his mean and Machiavellian side had come out to get what he had wanted the most for a long time: her. He wanted her, she wouldn't get away from him. She looked a lot worse than he did, but that didn't scare him in the least. On the contrary. It excited him even more, the game would be all the more interesting. It would be the kind of trophy that you can't display in a shop window, but it would boost his personal pride for a long time... And as if Carla could feel this electricity emanating from him, she couldn't deny that he intrigued her without knowing why.</p><p class="p1">He was really attractive, she couldn't say otherwise. Her style of clothing was original and sexy (if only she knew that her clothes were actually Spike's...). Her air of not caring about anything amused her even if she didn't show it. The young man seemed comfortable even if he didn't talk much. The only times she had heard the sound of his voice was to reply to Lu in a sarcastic way that shut him up. Lu wasn't easy to impress, but Murphy was more devious than she was. She liked the self-confidence that came out of him. He was typically the type of man she was attracted to, and after her recent fight with Sam, that handsome brunette looked like he was being served on a silver platter. Yes, she must admit, the fact that he barely looked at her reinforced this attraction. She was more used to being chased, glued, even begged. But not him. That intrigued her. And she liked that.</p><p class="p1">Murphy could feel her thoughtful gaze on him. He waited a good hour before planting his eyes in his own, at the same time sending him a silent invitation to more lustful games. Carla didn't look down, on the contrary. The hubbub of music and voices became secondary, almost silent. Only their silent conversation existed. Carla shivered. She hadn't felt that way in a long time. Not so quickly, not so intensely, not without purpose. There was an undeniable attraction between their two bodies and even their minds seemed to understand each other. When he saw that gleam of desire shining in the pretty marquise's eyes, he knew he had already won. Nevertheless, he was no longer certain whether he was the hunter or the hunted. The attraction was shared, common. In the end, he had no effort to make.</p><p class="p1">Nothing had yet materialized, but somehow Carla and Murphy knew that they would not end the night without taming their bodies. The spark in their eyes that was just waiting to ignite could testify to that.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Their little game continued throughout the evening, the glances intensified, and more and more often. Their minds and eyes played an intense and effective game of seduction, and all this without ever addressing a single word directly. Murphy's gaze seemed to undress her spiritually in a way that no one had ever dared before. Of course, she was used to being stared at from head to toe, even booed... But it was usually more embarrassing and repulsive than exciting. There was almost nothing vulgar or inappropriate in John Murphy's behavior... No, he was, he just dared, quite simply. And it drove her crazy. She forgot all her worries, her many moods and, above all, her questions about her relationship with Samuel.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">As the temperature became much warmer for them than it was for those who were raging on the dance floor, Carla took the lead as she liked to do and stood up after intensely staring at the young man right in front of her while sending him a little smirk for the first time. Murphy sent the same smile back to her with a little more mischief on the inside. They had understood each other and even if they hadn't, the fact that the beautiful blonde was slowly brushing up against the young man as he passed by confirmed his intentions. This simple brushing gave them a very pleasant electric discharge throughout their bodies.</p><p class="p1">"You're leaving already?" Asked Lu who was coming back from the dance floor breathless, but classy, as always.</p><p class="p1">"No, I'm just going to get some fresh air, I'm going to burn out if I stay in this heat."</p><p class="p1">"I'll come with you."</p><p class="p1">"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a few moments. All this noise exhausts me."</p><p class="p1">"Since when did you become a fragile little thing? Well, I'm going to get a refill on my dear half-brother's account..." Lu replied, shrugging her shoulders. Carla didn't bother to answer and walked away slowly.</p><p class="p1">It only took John a few seconds to react.</p><p class="p1">"Excuse me, all this champagne's going to overflow, I have to go get it out..."</p><p class="p1">"Charming... "Echo looked up at the young man and watched him walk away.</p><p class="p1">"I think our marchioness has found some fresh meat to eat raw..." announced Guzman with a smile.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, don't believe that. I don't know which one of them is going to get eaten, but Murphy has more than one trick up his sleeve... I think that's what he's been looking for since he saw him..." Echo replied.</p><p class="p1">"In that case, they found each other perfectly and at least two people here will have a really good evening..."</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Murphy hadn't really lied, he had gone to the bathroom before he set out to find his sulfurous marquise. It didn't take him long to find her as she was waiting for him not far from the bathroom door, in the deserted corridor, with her shoulder against the wall and a playful smile on her face that was clearly addressed to him. He walked towards her, taking care to walk slowly to keep the tension and desire he saw in her eyes.</p><p class="p1">Finally arriving in front of her, he stopped just inches away from her delicious face, staring at her outrageously, he could almost hear his heart pounding through her chest, which he dreamed of discovering. He had to do something or his own heart would explode with an overflow of adrenaline.</p><p class="p1">"For someone who needed to cool off, you still look hot to me..." he whispered to her without taking his eyes off her.</p><p class="p1">Indeed she felt hotter than ever... "Shut up." She grabbed his collar and pulled him to her to kiss him impulsively and ardently. Their kiss had a taste of effervescence and provocation. It did nothing to dampen the feverish desire that animated them. On the contrary, they were now bubbling with intoxication, and it had nothing to do with champagne no. Their kiss intensified until they were out of air. They finally took off, but their eyes didn't let go until Murphy lowered his head and put a kiss train on his neck. Carla moans.</p><p class="p1">"We've got to move..."</p><p class="p1">"I'm right behind you... Shall we go to your place?"</p><p class="p1">"No, no time... I want you now!"</p><p class="p1">He rested his lips on his own as if to nod and rekindle a flame that didn't really need to be.</p><p class="p1">He dragged his lips to his ear: "I think I know where to go if you're not afraid of catching a cold."</p><p class="p1">"Believe me, I'm so horny, we could go to Alaska and it wouldn't make me cold. You'll burn your fingers..."</p><p class="p1">"I ask only that..."</p><p class="p1">He took her hand and dragged her to the stairs he had taken a few hours earlier. They climbed the stairs, taking several breaks to kiss and fondle each other. One thing is certain: their desire rose much faster than their feet.</p><p class="p1">Carla quickly understood where he was taking her and didn't ask any questions. Once they arrived on the rooftop, they didn't waste their time to take off their clothes faster than the light.</p><p class="p1">If they didn't extinguish this fire quickly, they would literally burn alive. They needed to unite their bodies right there, right now. And that's what they did... Against the wall... On the floor... And even against the wall that barely separated them from the void! There were no feelings in there, no love, not even tenderness. It was pure impulse, a beastly borderline instinct to reach ecstasy in every possible way... And for that, they knew how to do it perfectly. Their compatibility was no longer to be proven. It was an exceptional, unexpected, unknown moment... Both had never experienced it before. Nothing was comparable and they knew they would remember it for the rest of their lives. For Murphy, who knew he would probably not stay long and probably never see her again, it was even more special, exciting. He didn't have to pretend to be attached, to try to be tender. Carla didn't want any of that, at least not from him. They didn't expect anything from each other. Just pleasure. And they had plenty of it.</p><p class="p1">Sabrina, who had been stuck on the roof since her arrival, could testify to her great regret. She had never liked voyeurism and would have been fine without it. Unfortunately, she had become stuck on the roof in the form of a cat and for some unknown reason, her magic didn't seem to work here. So she had to endure their torrid frolicking while trying to be as discreet as possible so that they don't notice her and that she sees as little as possible... Nevertheless, she could not deny that the two of them had had a really hot exchange, discovering things that had never been done to her. And the opposite also worked. There had been no restraint, no taboo between those two.</p><p class="p1">He was barely coming to his senses and hadn't said a single extra word to him that didn't sound obscene when the green portal materialized in front of him.</p><p class="p1">"Damn it, not now! Seriously, not now!"</p><p class="p1">"What the hell is this?" Carla screamed at him, suddenly losing her Olympic composure.</p><p class="p1">" Hum. Sorry Marquise, it's taking too long to explain. Don't go near it. I'll have to go get my friends. Get dressed and get away from that thing as soon as you can."</p><p class="p1">He quickly put his clothes back on and rested his lips on his own one last time... "I was more than delighted and lucky to meet you, but unfortunately I'm going to have to leave now...Don't change anything, you're exquisite just the way you are. I won't forget you. »</p><p class="p1">And he planted her there, without her understanding anything about it.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">The atmosphere was much lighter downstairs. Clarke and Bellamy had hardly left the dance floor and Bellamy had to admit that he was having a good time. He didn't need to think, he just let himself go and he was next to the one he needed the most. What more could you ask for?</p><p class="p1">When the music became softer, Clarke didn't hesitate for a second to sit in his reassuring arms. He tensed up a little and his heart raced. But he quickly recovered. He decided to simply enjoy the moment without torturing his mind.</p><p class="p1">"I'm glad things worked out. I hate arguing with you." The young woman confessed to him.</p><p class="p1">"I agree. I need you too much in my life to risk losing you. You're my best friend Clarke, all I care about is your happiness, really. I don't want to say or do anything that will ever take us away from each other..."</p><p class="p1">The young woman simply nodded her head, moved, but also slightly disappointed by this once again too platonic confession. They danced for a few more moments and Murphy burst in front of them explaining that the gate had reappeared on the roof and that they all had to leave now.</p><p class="p1">They gathered everyone concerned and went back upstairs.</p><p class="p1">"What the hell were you doing on that roof?" Octavia asked.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, I have an idea about that." Echo smiled as he saw Carla coming down. "Well done, you aimed high on that one, I must admit...".</p><p class="p1">"And it was fucking worth it..." He answered him proudly.</p><p class="p1">As the others still hadn't had an answer, Echo thought it best to add: "John sent the Marquise to himself...".</p><p class="p1">"Seriously?  Wahou! You're a god man! Jasper congratulated him.</p><p class="p1">"It was...something!!!!! " The man replied that he wasn't quite over it yet.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">They arrived on the roof, all together, not one less and not one more for once. </p><p class="p1">"Whose honor? We're all following each other closely this time!"</p><p class="p1">"I'm going first!" Suggested young Blake. </p><p class="p1">What she didn't know was that she wasn't really the first one to go because Sabrina had crossed over to the other side a few minutes before they arrived on the roof.</p><p class="p1">Our young friends took turns in taking the Anomaly that was becoming almost familiar to them now, wondering where the hell they were going to land this time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Stranger Travelers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">This time, no alley or building roof, no. This time, they landed in the middle of a forest, with trees as far as the eye could see. Sabrina waited just a few hours for her friends to arrive and she must say that it was a real pleasure to find the quietude for a few moments, taking advantage of this green nature that she cherished so much.</p><p class="p1">It must have been the middle of the afternoon when the rest of the little band arrived. Would they be able to rest soon? With all the time differences, they felt like they hadn't slept in ages and the two evenings combined hadn't helped. Between those who had drunk too much, danced too much or were simply too tired from all these accumulated emotions, they were at the end of their rope, all of them.</p><p class="p1">"Great ... I was disturbed to land in the middle of nowhere! Awesome..." Murphy panted.</p><p class="p1">"I want to sleep..." Grumbled Jasper, who was having trouble keeping his eyes open, his euphoric state from the alcohol beginning to subside.</p><p class="p1">"I'm definitely not dressed for a walk in the woods...And my feet hurt like hell... "Octavia added as she sat down on a tree trunk.</p><p class="p1">Clarke scanned each of her friends and then her gaze lingered on Bellamy. In a few seconds, they understood each other and knew that they had to take it upon themselves, once again, to motivate the troops.</p><p class="p1">"Guys, I'm as tired as you are, believe me, morally and physically... But we can't stay here. We're lucky we got here during the day, but we don't know when the sun is going to set and it might be dangerous to stay here. Besides, we don't know anything about the climate that it is supposed to make here. Here it's fine, but tonight we'll probably freeze. I propose that we all take our courage in both hands and try to get out of here before the night. I promise after that we'll find a way to sleep tonight. I think our brains are too knocked out to do anything else anyway."</p><p class="p1">Clarke nodded.</p><p class="p1">"Bellamy is right, it's safer." Monty grinned.</p><p class="p1">"Okok, just let us settle down for 15 short minutes and we'll go..."</p><p class="p1">"Is it possible to settle down a little longer instead? I beg you, I need it to sober up..." Jasper asked him completely at the end of his life.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, but not more." The tall dark-haired man answered him, realizing that they were really out of strength.</p><p class="p1">Jasper breathed out in satisfaction and went to rest against a tree. It wasn't comfortable, but at this point he could have slept on a bed of nails.</p><p class="p1">Everyone did more or less the same. Bellamy chose to stay close to his sister. The latter put her head on the comforting shoulder of her big brother who in turn put his on her. A little respite would indeed do them the greatest good. Clarke settled a few meters further, in the ferns. He kept his eyes fixed on her blond hair and started to doze off when Octavia interrupted him: "Are you feeling better? With Clarke. Since Spike I mean..."</p><p class="p1">He was surprised by the awkward request and straightened up to look at her, "What do you mean by that?"</p><p class="p1">"Please, don't play that game with me. I've seen you you know, your face distorted with sadness. You can play strong in front of others, but not in front of me Bell. And even without seeing you, as soon as I witnessed what was going on between those two, I knew right away that you must be screaming from the inside. I was just surprised that you didn't react more. I could see you were on edge, but you didn't do anything. Again. "</p><p class="p1">"And what would you have wanted me to do O? Show up in front of her and rip her arms off? That I'd take my anger out on that damn vampire for kissing my best friend who I have no rights to? That I suddenly tell her how much I love her just because I was horribly jealous? No I don't think so, neither of those solutions would have made things better."</p><p class="p1">"This is not a blame, just an observation. At least you could have tried, right? By waiting, look where it got you..."</p><p class="p1">"The truth is, I guess I had hopes that she would still be there, waiting for me to be ready, or for her to be ready. I imagined that this time we would wait for each other until we were confident enough to face our feelings, to take the risk. The truth is, I still don't know how she feels. I know I should ask her once and for all. But I'm afraid it will change what's already so strong and precious between us. I want to see her happy...with or without me. And apparently, she's ready to move on without me. Sometimes that's love too, letting go of those you love..."</p><p class="p1">"How can you let her go if you never tried to hold her back?"</p><p class="p1">"You have a point..." He wanted to rest his gaze on her, he needed to. Only she wasn't there anymore. "Where the hell is she again?" he couldn't hide his terror and immediately stood up, looking around for her, but she wasn't in sight.</p><p class="p1">"Bellamy calm down, it's Clarke! You know she can never stay put for long. She probably wanted to explore the area to find out which way to go and save us some time. There are no green portals on the horizon, and this forest is extremely quiet... she can't be far away."</p><p class="p1">"I know, but I don't like it, it might be dangerous, we don't know where we are and there might be beasts roaming around. Besides, she could get lost, and frankly, I don't feel comfortable with that."</p><p class="p1">"Seriously? Clarke Griffin getting lost in the woods? You know she's in her element and knows her way around better than anyone, maybe even more than you. And she's smart, I don't think she would put herself in unnecessary danger. Seriously Bell, you're taking your mind off of everything. You extrapolate everything when it comes to her."</p><p class="p1">"Maybe so, but I need to know she is safe. I'm not asking you to understand me, just to accept it."</p><p class="p1">"You need to sleep, you'll never last."</p><p class="p1">"Trust me, I need her a lot more than I need sleeping. I won't get any sleep knowing she's alone in that forest. I'm going. "</p><p class="p1">"In that case I'll come with you."</p><p class="p1">"No-O! No way! You rest. Anyway, if we haven't come back by the time the others wake up, someone will have to explain it to them and tell them to wait for us there. There's no point in alarming everyone. Go to sleep, and if when you wake up we haven't come back, then wait twenty minutes or so and then try to get out of this forest and find a shelter. We'll do our best to find you. Keep the others safe. Echo is used to being in the forest, she will be able to guide you. And we will easily find your tracks. But I hope we'll be back long before then."</p><p class="p1">She took his hand tenderly, "Be careful. Don't do anything silly..."</p><p class="p1">"I promise." He kissed her forehead and walked over to where Clarke was sitting to try and track her down.</p><p class="p1">Sabrina decided to stay and watch the rest of the small group.</p><p class="p1">Fortunately, he was really good at tracking in the woods. He loved to go hiking regularly, with Clarke and other friends, or even alone sometimes. It allowed him to refocus, to air his mind. He felt much better in full forest than in the frantic rhythm of the cities and it was undoubtedly for this reason that for the first time the beginning of their misadventure, he had not panicked.</p><p class="p1">He looked for traces on the ground and easily found the direction she had taken. It should be said that a girl in heels in the middle of the forest, it is not very discrete. He walked several tens of meters and soon did not see his friends, all asleep. He really started to panic when he saw the pair of pumps that Clarke was wearing carefully put on a tree stump. He suspected that she had put them there herself, that it was not a kidnapping, but all the same, the traces would be less clear now. He decided to continue in the same direction, hoping that his instinct would not push him in the wrong direction.</p><p class="p1">Of course, this was not the case, he knew her so well that he didn't actually need to track anything down to know which direction she had taken. He would have done exactly the same thing, the same choices... So he found her, walking barefoot in her evening dress in the middle of all that greenery. He did not call her immediately, but enjoyed a little of this enchanting vision. Damn what he could find her perfect! She was glowing and he could feel his heart drumming in his chest as if his whole being was silently screaming his love. Each of her breaths was telling him "I love you", each shiver was whispering "I want you".</p><p class="p1">A branch cracked and broke his discretion. Clarke turned around and was hardly surprised to find him there. She smiled to him and he returned her stupidly, completely subjugated and still under the charm of the sparkling blonde. How could she not see the adoration that emanated from him?</p><p class="p1">"You should sleep Bell."</p><p class="p1">"Said the girl who was prancing around naked in the forest just as exhausted as I was."</p><p class="p1">"I couldn't sleep and...my feet hurt like hell so I thought I'd take off these things of woe. I'm better off."</p><p class="p1">He nodded.</p><p class="p1">"I couldn't sleep either..."</p><p class="p1">She grinned at him and raised her eyebrows, making it clear that she knew very well that it was wrong, that he was worried about her. This was Bellamy, always there to take care of everyone, putting those he loved before his own well-being. What she didn't know was that this was even more true when it came to her.</p><p class="p1">She didn't think it was necessary to answer, she didn't need to. She thus resumed her discovery of the forest, Bellamy at her sides, enjoying both the calm landscape and the sounds of the nature. Finally...</p><p class="p1">"There is something strange here, I can't figure out what exactly..."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy took into account the concern of his friend and concentrated to be able to understand what she was getting at, while continuing their walk...</p><p class="p1">"You're right, I've figured out what's bothering you: it's way too quiet. At first I thought it was the contrast with the hubbub we just left that gave me that feeling. But no, it's something else. The forest is a calm and soothing place, but there is really no noise, as if there was no living soul here, no animal, no buzz of insect, of bird flight, hardly a breeze of wind... It's dead quiet and it's really not normal."</p><p class="p1"><br/>Clarke half-turned, to find comfort in his eyes, for indeed, he had aimed right, and discomfort was slowly creeping up on her, realizing that they had surely fallen into a dangerous, perhaps even supernatural world again.</p><p class="p1">"We should get back to the…aaaa."</p><p class="p1">She didn't have time to finish her sentence when she caught her feet in a tree branch and lost her balance. Fortunately, her knight in shining armor was never long to react to rescue her princess. She found herself, by clumsiness and happiness, in his arms.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">He caught her with eagerness, but tenderness, embracing her waist preciously as if he was afraid to break her. He had always felt exacerbated reflexes when she was near, as if he was the jewel box that had to protect her.</p><p class="p1">Unfortunately, the clumsiness of Clarke was really at its paroxysm and made them rock both, dragging them towards the ground. She was then put on Bellamy whose poor back had just collided badly on the carpet of branches and weeds which were on the ground. So yes, it was far from being comfortable, maybe even a little painful, but he didn't care, he was well and only the fact to have Clarke against him mattered.</p><p class="p1">For a moment, their eyes melted into each other, smiles on their lips, unable to utter a single word, completely captivated by the contact of their two bodies. There was nothing comfortable about it, but it was enough for both their minds to wander and their souls to communicate.</p><p class="p1">Of course, Clarke wanted to push her awkwardness a little further so that her lips lay "stupidly" on her best friend's... Just to see how it feels. There are moments like this where she wonders why Bellamy never picked up on her feelings for him. She was literally glued to him, as much as she could manage, her head resting on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. Her face was almost screaming that she just wanted to kiss him. But he apparently didn't notice. Or maybe he didn't want to admit it, because it embarrassed him. She unfortunately leaned towards the second option.</p><p class="p1">Of course, the idea of pulling the blonde closer to him so that her mouth would brush " clumsily " against his crossed his mind. There is something unusual about them. Something deeply spiritual. The way they are hypnotized by each other so naturally as if their love is grounded in the Earth. You can see star systems bursting in their eyes. They are perfectly in tune. Their hearts sing the same old song. The universe is unfolding for them. You can only feel it.</p><p class="p1">Yet, once again, neither made the first move. Once again, they found in their minds a thousand and one excuses to postpone this long-awaited moment, an excuse that would once again prevent them from living fully.</p><p class="p1">Instead, Clarke simply burst out laughing, this sparkling laugh of which Bellamy was not tired and which made his heart melt a little more... A burst of laughter that made his earth tremble. When he should have kissed her to show her all the affection he really had for her, he put a hand in her hair to remove a dried leaf that had gotten caught in her golden hair. With them, even this simple gesture was filled with tenderness, with romance...</p><p class="p1">It was the right time, one more, one of many. They both knew it, but which one would move first?</p><p class="p1">None unfortunately, for as their two intertwined bodies flooded this forest of romance, a guttural growl snapped them out of their bubble to instantly plunge them into terror.</p><p class="p1">"Did you hear the same thing I did?"</p><p class="p1">The blonde nodded and they got to their feet as quickly as they could.</p><p class="p1">The growl sounded again, closer this time... Or rather the howling... They didn't know it in fact. This sound was really strange, unknown, inhuman. They should have run away, run, found their friends... But this sound came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It seemed to have taken over the whole forest and resonated in every tree leaf.</p><p class="p1">Clarke instinctively put her hand in her friend's and looked at him, distraught.</p><p class="p1">The cry rang out one last time, it was too late, too close, they couldn't run away anymore and would have to face the thing that emitted it.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy, still with Clarke's hand in his, bent down to grab a large tree branch, strong enough to defend against a small animal no doubt, but not against what was waiting for them.</p><p class="p1">The beast came to their right in an unsettling silence that contrasted with the roar they had heard. It was so quiet that it would have almost taken them by surprise if a cracking of a branch had not alerted them.</p><p class="p1">Terror was a weak word. Nothing had prepared them for what they were about to see. How could they have suspected the impossible for a moment? They had only just encountered the paranormal in Sunnydale and maybe Monty and Jasper wouldn't have been so scared...But this... this thing was at the height of weird. They wouldn't have even imagined it in their worst nightmares: the humanoid-shaped thing stood upright and moved slowly, luckily for them. Its face, if you can call it that, was unlike anything else, and its body seemed to be covered with a slimy purple substance. One thing was certain: there was nothing friendly about it.</p><p class="p1">Clarke was stunned and heightened the pressure on Bellamy's hand.</p><p class="p1">"We should still try to run away now, right?"</p><p class="p1">She didn't have time to answer him. The thing's mouth opened on all sides, looking like a horrible flower in full bloom, lined with needle-like fangs, fright in all its ugliness.</p><p class="p1">Clarke wanted to scream, but no sound could come out of her mouth. She was like petrified.</p><p class="p1">Bellamy, instead of running away as any sane person should have done, stood in front of Clarke to protect her. "Run!" He asked her.</p><p class="p1">But instead, the blonde grabbed his arm: "No way I'm leaving you here.</p><p class="p1">So they were probably going to die here, together. Of course, they had some knowledge of combat and defense. Clarke had even been trained as a vampire slayer... But this was totally different and she didn't feel ready to face this monster.</p><p class="p1">And fortunately for them, they weren't going to have to. The Thing literally flew out of the forest screaming, as if an invisible force had just thrown itself on it. The two friends looked at each other, shocked, but reassured.</p><p class="p1">They didn't know what to expect, but certainly not this: a young girl of barely fifteen, a drop of blood escaping from her nostril, had just emerged from the other side of the trees, her arm stretched out towards the thing that had just evaporated. She was soon joined by a young boy of about the same age who was gasping for breath.</p><p class="p1">"There was one more?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, but it's over for him."</p><p class="p1">The boy took the girl in his arms and although this scene moved the other two friends, they were still in shock and mostly surprised to have been saved by a teenager who looked like she had superpowers.</p><p class="p1"><br/>Bellamy coughed to get their attention.</p><p class="p1">"Thank you. You came just in time... I don't know how you did it but you saved us... Thank you, really. "</p><p class="p1">"How did you do that? Wow!!!" Clarke hastened to add.</p><p class="p1">The two youngsters walked up to them hand in hand.</p><p class="p1">"Who are you? Haven't we seen you here before?" Asked the young man a little aggressively.</p><p class="p1">"What Mike is trying to tell you 'nicely' is that we're not used to seeing strangers around here and it usually doesn't do any good...Especially since the Demogorgon have strangely just reappeared..."</p><p class="p1">"Sorry we haven't introduced ourselves, I'm Bellamy and this is Clarke and indeed we're not from here. Demo-what?"  </p><p class="p1">Clarke continued, perfectly completing what he meant, "Look, we'll tell you all about it. I warn you in advance, our story is far from being banal, but judging from what has just happened, you are used to the paranormal and maybe you can even help us. In any case, I know you don't have to believe us, but I can assure you that we don't mean you any harm and that we are part of the good guys, or so I think."</p><p class="p1">The two young people looked at each other and the girl spoke up, "I'm El and he's Mike. "</p><p class="p1">"Is your nose okay?"</p><p class="p1">"Oh yeah, it still doesn't do me when I use my powers..."</p><p class="p1">"Your powers?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah that's long enough to explain, but I want to hear your story first."</p><p class="p1">"Look, if you don't mind we'll tell you on the way, but our friends are a little further into the forest and I'd like to find them before one of those things hurts them."</p><p class="p1">El nodded, "Okay we'll follow you, I think the forest is clean, but indeed you never know."</p><p class="p1">"El, maybe we shouldn't trust them so quickly." Mike tried to whisper to her without any discretion.</p><p class="p1">"I'm here Mike, it doesn't matter if they're honest or not, you know I'm much stronger than they are."</p><p class="p1">Bellamy raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up. "It's this way." He took the road and then realized that Clarke's hand was still in his, but he did not pretend anything and continued without letting go.</p><p class="p1">So the four of them took the way back to the place where they had left their friends. Clarke and Bellamy told them as agreed their adventure since Clarke's first "trip". As expected, neither El nor Mike were really surprised even though Mike mentioned several times that time and space travel was super cool and also the movie "Back to the Future..." This kid was going to please Murphy.</p><p class="p1">They found their friends, still sleeping like babies...Babies sleeping it off in the middle of the woods!</p><p class="p1">Introductions were made fairly quickly and everyone, without exception, was excited at the mention of El's superpowers. Elf offered to take them to her father's old house, which was apparently out of town. They didn't really understand and they were so exhausted that they only cared about having a roof over their heads for the night. So she led them to Hopper's house. There was no bed for each of them, but they would rotate and Mike promised to bring them breakfast the next day and return with "reinforcements. They said their crack team would definitely help them.</p><p class="p1">What worried El was that she was sure that the opening of their portal had nothing to do with the appearance of the new Demogorgons. The truth is, she feared that the Anomaly had reopened the Upside Down, and the danger that comes with it...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A Midsummer Night's Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the huge delay in publishing. To be honest I haven't been feeling too good lately and have been having a hard time focusing and motivating myself to write.<br/>But here it is.<br/>Not much action to speak of but a nice bonding scene for Bellamy and Clarke (thanks to Jade for the inspiration for this moment).<br/>The Stranger things characters will take more space in the next chapter. As you will notice, I replaced Max with Hope. I wanted to put Hope somewhere and I'm not especially attached to Max so... Here it is ^^<br/>I hope you'll like it. I'll try to be a bit faster to publish the next one ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The first light of the day had appeared more than an hour ago when Clarke opened her eyes that morning. It wasn't the fact that she was in an unfamiliar cabin that surprised her the most, nor the fact that she felt strangely relaxed and rested despite the turmoil of the past few days. What surprised her to the point of paralysis was the fact that before she opened her eyes, she had felt her legs mixed up with others, more muscular, even as she was beginning to regain her senses. She must have been dreaming. So why did the other sensation, the one of feeling her head on a male chest, firm and reassuring, her arm surrounding a perfectly drawn bust, the one of feeling an arm surrounding her shoulder to hold her in place more warmly than firmly, why did this sensation feel so real? She didn't need to see it to know who the person beside her was. She knew it and would have recognized it between a thousand. It was at that moment that she had opened her eyes anyway, her brain barely awake, needing to be sure that it was not one of her beautiful dreams. And she found that she had not only come to Bellamy's side during the night, but that she was curled up next to him. How long had they been like this? She was still far too sleepy to remember anything and if this was another one of her many dreams, she just wanted to enjoy it for a few more minutes, this one was really perfect and disturbingly true.She then closed her eyes and tightened her embrace a little more. She felt at home, protected in an indescribable way, in his arms. She would have liked to stay there for hours or even days in this exact position. The fact that Bellamy was asleep simplified things, she didn't have to wonder what to do or what he was thinking. She was simply enjoying herself. And it was at that moment, when she felt fulfilled and relaxed, it was at that very moment that she remembered what had happened that night. So it was not a dream.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>Elf and Mike left them quickly after giving them a quick tour of the house and showing them where everything they might need was. But what they needed most of all was to sleep, and our young lovers understood that and preferred to let them rest and wait for the next day to learn more. The cabin was not very big, there were only two small rooms and an old sofa bed in the living room. Fortunately for them, as the Winters were really freezing in Hawkins, there were plenty of blankets. They could use some of them as mattresses. And there was plenty of wood to fuel the fireplace, more for the pleasure of seeing and hearing the wood crackle than for the heat itself. Jasper Monty and Murphy took Elf's room. Monty and Murphy would share his bed while Jasper, really exhausted, would sleep on the floor, on some covers. He was still so intoxicated that he could sleep anywhere as he had proven in the forest. Echo, Octavia and Clarke would share Hopper's big bed and Bellamy would stay on the sofa bed in the living room. A little solitude wouldn't hurt, but more importantly, he'd be the first to know about anything suspicious coming from outside.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>So our travelers soon fell asleep, all really exhausted. The black cat, rolled up in a ball near the fireplace, did not shock anyone, all thinking that it was already part of the house. And that lucky little Sabrina would have a front row seat for the bonding that occurred later that night.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Bellamy took a little longer than the others to fall asleep, still reeling from the horrific discovery he had made earlier in the woods. More was happening in his life in a few days than had happened in a lifetime. He had enough of his own personal demons to deal with physically...</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>So he was sleeping for a short time when Clarke came to disturb his peaceful sleep, at about one o'clock in the morning. She didn't make any noise when she came out of the Elf's room, closed the door behind her, revived the fire and warmed up quickly her hands before coming to awake awkwardly the beautiful brunet sleeping across the sofa. She was very upset to come and disturb him. But she had not found other solutions... In fact, she had to admit that she had not even looked for it. He was so beautiful and seemed so quiet lying there, undoubtedly in full dream. She hesitated several minutes in front of him, to contemplate him without having to hide. Only, the cold and the desire to sleep caught up with her quickly.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Bellamy... Bell..." She began by trying to wake him up gently by caressing his cheek. He did release a small moan, adorable by the way, but his sleep was not disturbed for as much. She had then to resign herself to shake a little more strongly his shoulder by putting there however all the softness which it is possible to put in this type of intention.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Hmmm...? "He barely opened his eyes, still half asleep, "Clarke?" He didn't know if it was a dream or reality. He often thought he was dreaming when he looked at her. She had this beauty so precious that it seemed almost unreal to him. And now, when everyone was supposed to be sound asleep, what would Clarke do in front of him?</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Sorry to bother you... I... I can't sleep in the room. Octavia is taking up all the space and I don't want to push her out for fear of knocking Echo over. Plus they have the whole blanket on so I'm freezing... Do you mind if I lay down next to you".</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>He opened his eyes for a moment, wondering once again if she was real. No matter... He didn't answer her, but made room for her and opened his blanket so that she could slip underneath.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>So Clarke lay down near her best friend, not without any embarrassment. She should be able to feel comfortable. After all, sleeping with her best friend is not shocking. But deep down, she knew that her feelings for Bellamy were much stronger than that and that there was a much deeper intention in this quick solution. Either way, she was much better off now. Just being there warmed her up instantly, more from the adrenaline this situation gave her than from the warmth Bellamy's body gave off.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Bellamy seemed to be already asleep, she even doubted that he had really woken up and that he was aware of her presence. She then started to close her eyes and turned her back to her friend, towards the fireplace. It is at this moment that it happened: asleep or not, Bellamy turned to her, passed an arm under her nape and came to stick his body to hers, and whereas she didn't realize yet what it was happening, he encircled her size of his other arm and came to put it on her basin, sticking himself a little more to her, nestling comfortably his head against her nape. She could feel his warm lips on her skin and would have almost sworn to feel a kiss deposited delicately on her skin which had nothing any more cold. There was no space left between their two bodies. She who had been so cold a few minutes earlier was now boiling. A euphoric fever seized her and nipped at her every movement. She didn't want to, didn't dare to move. On the one hand, because she didn't know how to manage or interpret this gesture, on the other hand because if he was sleeping, she didn't want to wake him up and break everything. After all these misadventures, she could well grant herself this comfort brought on a silver plate.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>After a few minutes of inactivity, she said to herself, considering his slow and regular breathing that he must really be asleep. She allowed herself to cover his arm with her hands and to snuggle more comfortably against him. She was over the moon. She should probably thank Octavia one day for being such a bad sleeper. Of all the things that had happened to her since her first "trip", this was by far her favorite moment. In fact, come to think of it, she admitted that it was probably the best time she had ever had in her life. What if she finally decided to try to tell him how she felt? She would have moments like that every day and even better ones. Her life with Bellamy could only be filled with happiness. She had no doubt about it and now that she had a small glimpse of what could be, her head told her that it might be worth risking everything after all. Provided she had the courage of course. On these thoughts full of good sense, she fell asleep more peacefully than she would have thought possible in this world...</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">So that's how it had happened... everything was clear now. Falling asleep and waking up in Bellamy's arms was much more pleasant than she had imagined, and yet the level of her imagination was already quite high you can believe... Their position had changed while they slept, but they had remained clinging to each other as if they had finally found their rightful place.</p><p class="p1">What should she do now? Try to get up discreetly while everyone else was still asleep to avoid possible embarrassment? Or stay there and enjoy a few more minutes of this blessed moment at the risk of having to explain himself to the others or to face the probably incomprehensible look of Bellamy when he wakes up?</p><p class="p1">She had no time to think. Bellamy's breathing suddenly changed and when she looked up at him, he was staring straight at her, fully aware and awake. Okay, now this was really awkward. Her instinct whispered to her to straighten up, to untangle her legs tangled in his and to remove her hand which rested on his chest that her thumb caressed without even paying attention. But doing so was like admitting they were doing something wrong, and wouldn't she be even more embarrassed afterwards? The best she could do was to let go and pretend everything was normal, silently praying that he would not become aware of her heart drumming against her breasts. But then again, she had nothing to be ashamed of, because her hand placed on his felt each of his beats accelerating, as if their two hearts were already communicating directly between them.</p><p class="p1">"Hey..." That was all she could think of to say.</p><p class="p1">"Hey." He replied with a smile.</p><p class="p1">Had she ever pointed out how incomparable and beautiful her best friend's smile was? Of course she had. But seeing him as soon as she woke up made him even more precious to her. She could stand there and watch him smile for days and nights on end. But not today. Today they had to act and find a solution, again.</p><p class="p1">To not make anything easier, Bellamy couldn't help but put back a strand of her hair as he had taken the unfortunate (or not) habit of doing it, with this way of making this gesture a little too romantic. If only she knew that each time he did it, he admired her beauty a little more than each time, he was dying to kiss her...</p><p class="p1">"Hello. "Bellamy had also taken several minutes before remembering his strange dream that was apparently not a dream since he was indeed holding his best friend against him in his arms and it was the best feeling in the world, although slightly confusing.</p><p class="p1">"Sleep well?"</p><p class="p1">"Better than next to your dear little sister. "</p><p class="p1">He let escape a small laugh which contracted furtively his muscles to the great pleasure of the blonde who always embraced him.</p><p class="p1">"I'm not going to contradict you, but believe me, you get used to it as you go along. I've shared my bed with her too many times to count. "</p><p class="p1">She laughed in turn... "On a more serious note, I feel rested...and warm. But I'm sorry I bothered you. "</p><p class="p1">"You didn't bother me at all, believe me. I haven't slept this well in... a long time. "</p><p class="p1">"So I don't snore? "She asked him to lighten the mood.</p><p class="p1">"I don't think so... but now that you mention it..." He teased her and earned a small pat against his arm. Unfortunately, Clarke didn't dare put her hand back on him after that and shifted slightly, still sideways. He then rolled to the side to face her. Their faces were only a few centimeters away, but this proximity was nothing compared to the proximity of their souls which communicated between them in this language which was their own.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">She's going to tell him... Right now. She had to tell him... It was the perfect time. Or maybe not. She was lost in his gaze and yet all those dark thoughts kept running through her head... She had to tell him how crazy she was about him, how she felt like she could only breathe if he was by her side, how this night with him was one of the most beautiful of her life even if it was once again a little too platonic for her taste. They had slept together before, but often at parties too drunk. And this night, when their lives were in danger more than ever, this night shared with a priceless taste. But, because there is always a damn "but" between these two, she was really scared. She knew they could still be friends if he didn't feel the same way and at least he would know, she would have tried.... But he would know, and then, when he found another woman he thought was better than her to spend his life with, he would know, and still marry someone else. Of course, she would give him her blessing without hesitation, tell him how beautiful this woman is, and she would play the "if anyone wants to object to this marriage let them shut up now or forever" over and over for the rest of her life...Knowing that he knew. That would be even worse.She wouldn't tell him right away. She was dying to: to reveal her heart to him, to throw herself on his lips... But no, she wouldn't. She knew the giddiness, the fear and the joy, the courage and the devotion, but when it came to Bellamy Blake, she was unresponsive and all her courage dissipated, no matter how strong and intense her feelings might be.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Bellamy opened his mouth as if he too had something on his heart to reveal. But once again, the timing was not in their favor and the sound of a car pulling up nearby disturbed their unsettling connection.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They jumped up and down at the same time.</p><p class="p3">"I'm going to wake up the sleeping snorer girl..."</p><p class="p3">" So do I with the boys. I hope Jasper is done sleeping this time. "</p><p class="p3">And in less time than it took to say it, it was as if that wonderful night had never happened. The girls didn't seem to notice Clarke's absence during the night so no one mentioned anything.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Their new friends arrived in dribs and drabs, some in cars, others on bicycles... Mike and Elf were the first to arrive with Jonathan and Nancy, who were obviously delighted to meet them. But very quickly, the house seemed very narrow. They hadn't lied when they talked about reinforcements and apparently thought it would be useful to bring a real troop... Either the situation was really worrying for them, or they were simply looking for adventure. And after a few hours of chatting, it was clearly the second option.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">So they also quickly got to know Lucas, Will, Dustin, Steve, Robin, Erica and Hope. While some of them were young adults, most of them were just teenagers, but they were clearly more used to the supernatural than they were. Even the youngest, Erica, seemed far more reckless than some of them, though extremely annoying and at the same time amusing. Everyone had quickly taken to Dustin, who was as smart as he was adorable. And Octavia quickly befriended young Hope, who had recently been orphaned, but still had a strength that invited respect. From what Octavia understood, she was the only one here who really knew how to fight hand to hand. She was probably the same age as Nancy, Jonathan and Steeve, but had a much more complex past than they had. Octavia felt a great deal of empathy for her. It was the first time she had felt that way about someone else, and it was even stranger when she had only just met her. This girl seemed strong, but she could see that deep inside she was lost. In a way, she saw herself in her...</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They spent most of the day talking about everything, eating, laughing... and even playing for some of them! It was a beautiful day, probably the best since they had left. The simplest, but also the most authentic. And for the moment, no supernatural on the horizon. But after several hours, the conversation turned a little more serious to the Anomaly, the Demogorgon... And the atmosphere became tense again.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">After telling each other about their adventures, Elf quickly offered to try to find the portal with her special technique. She was connected to paranormal things and had a real gift for finding them.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She told them how she would do it, but they didn't understand much of it. She had to be blindfolded in total silence... Only Mike would stay in the house, they would wait outside, but not too far, just in case.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Surprisingly, it was very quick. What they didn't know was that Elf's powers had strengthened with time and practice. Less time was needed, her nose was barely bleeding and it took less time to regain her strength.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Mike came to pick them up after only about fifteen minutes. Elf had found the portal.</p><p class="p3">The good news: it was already open and could be used whenever they wanted.</p><p class="p3">The bad news: it was in the Upside-Down and several Demo-dogs seemed to have materialized inside, eagerly awaiting their arrival.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They were going to need help, and right now, these teens were their only chance to get out of here in one piece. They needed to make a plan and follow it to the letter, and with any luck, they would finally be in their world within hours.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Hang on a little longer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The program was simple to understand, but complicated to carry out, and the risk was significant for both of them. If one of them took even one small step wrong, the plan was ruined and would turn into a nightmare, if one of them was one minute late, the plan would turn into a disaster, and finally, even if each of them respected each step carefully, there were more than a hundred other factors that could influence their failure. In other words, their chance of success was barely a few percent. But as Dustin said, "It's better than nothing! "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">They would carry out their plan at 10:30 p.m., so that the younger children could escape discreetly without their parents noticing them. Everyone had to be in place by midnight, and they would be divided into several teams, each with a well-defined role. The first one of course: Elf and our seven travelers, accompanied by Dustin, Steve and Hope. They were the ones who risked the most. Elf had to be there to reopen the portal and manage the situation in case something went wrong. Steeve and Hope were there as backup... And Dustin... Well, he rarely left Steeve's side since their last adventure and he considered him a bit like his big brother. Besides, he found that muscles were far from being enough in a mission like this! They would need a brain around them to react and find a solution in case something unexpected happened. And his gadgets wouldn't be too much to fight the demons if the second team wasn't enough to keep them entertained.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Jonathan, Mike (who had long tried to negotiate to stay close to Elf), and Lucas, would also be in the upside down world, close to the second entrance they had to create a few dozen minutes earlier. They would be in charge of attracting the Demodogs to leave the opening of the Anomaly. They were well equipped to defend themselves thanks to the flamethrower freshly built by Lucas and Dustin, but their intervention had to remain temporary, they knew well that they would not hold long against these atrocities. If everyone was well coordinated, they should barely last ten minutes, that was the time needed for Elf to open the Anomaly and let our travelers through. Once the anomaly was closed, the first team would make as much noise as possible so that the Demodogs would come back to them and Elf could disintegrate them before going back to the surface. Everything was orchestrated to perfection.But sometimes perfection is not enough and they knew it. The unexpected liked to get in the way of the game in the city of Hawkins.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Finally, the last team, less at the forefront than the others, but just as important: Nancy, Will and Robin and Erica, themselves divided into two teams with 2 cars. They would be stationed at a sufficient distance from the two respective entrances, with walkie-talkies, and would serve not only as relays to communicate, but also as drivers in case things turned sour. Nancy and Robin could quickly get to the scene to pick up one of the other two groups and get them out of harm's way more quickly.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">In all this chaos and amazing organization, it wasn't the way these kids seemed to be used to handling this type of plan that surprised Murphy the most, it was the fact that none of them knew about smartphones! No kidding... These kids were still having to talk to each other on walkie-talkies... He wondered if he should find that "lame" or super cool! Either way, their new acquaintances didn't seem to mind. This era was pretty cool after all, if you forget about the monsters and the demonic parallel universes of course!</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">11pm...here we were already. Everyone met once again at Hopper's little cabin to finalize the program and get in sync. Clarke could hardly believe that they were already leaving. She didn't feel so bad here after all, and the welcome was as warm as in Sunnydale. Bellamy seemed to appreciate this time and their way of life. He who had always been more or less vintage in his way of thinking and living, he would have seen himself spending more time in this world, provided that there was not so much danger. According to Elf, they really needed to move quickly so they could get back to the other side and she could seal the portal and the Upside Down while disintegrating the creatures that lived there. She felt that this was becoming almost routine for her and wondered if one day she would be able to live a quiet life, or almost quiet since she would still have her powers. She had lost them for some time, the mourning of her adoptive father having surely traumatized her more than the exhaustion of her last fight. But after several months, they had finally returned as if by magic. Since then, she always had this feeling that her father might not be dead. She didn't know where to look, and if he was still in this world, his brain seemed to have suffered too much damage for her to be able to trace him as she had known how. So she was taking her time to find a solution and these travelers arrived at the right time to change her mind. It was a pity that they did not stay longer, their stories were so captivating. She had especially enjoyed the one about Sunnydale, knowing that a vampire slayer existed in another world made her feel more...normal. If only she knew that a powerful witch was sneaking up on them at the same time.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Elf wasn't the only one who wished Clarke and her friends could have stayed a little longer, Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will seemed fascinated by their misadventures and were excited to learn more about the future and possible technological innovations. As for Hope, she felt a strong connection with Octavia, she didn't really know why, but Octavia reminded her of her older sister, who had passed away years earlier. She hadn't felt such a bond with anyone in a long time. But despite all the excitement, everyone had to face the fact that they had to leave, that everything had to go back to the way it was, as soon as possible.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">So it was with a bit of bitterness that each team went to set up, after having said their goodbyes to those they were not supposed to see again, dropped off by Nancy and Robin who was driving the two vehicles. Before leaving, Steeve had the good idea to give Murphy a backpack with some food and water in case they arrived in a hostile place again. Hope gave Octavia a bag with two small blankets. It wasn't much, but it would help them a little.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Arriving in a large meadow which at first sight had nothing original, our travelers left it to Steeve and Dustin to dig as they seemed to know what they were doing. Once the hole was made, Elf advised them one last time to make as little noise as possible inside, to heel her well and especially to be careful where they put their feet.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Elf went down first and everyone had to follow her one by one. Clarke and Bellamy were the last ones. The blond was about to go down in her turn when the brown one holds her by the arm:</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Clarke, if we don't make it..." His eyes revealed a thousand words to her that his tongue could not pronounce. But he knew that the risk they faced was greater than ever and he had to tell her. He didn't want to die without having told her... Even less after this wonderful night at her side. He was going to say those three little words that burned his lips every time he saw her, every time he felt her piercing gaze on him, every time he heard her voice or even just her name... those three words that defined him now: I love you. For he saw himself in her eyes . He saw the one he really follows and few people know. She had become half of his soul, his evidence.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">But his princess cut him off: "No, we will," she told him categorically without giving him the chance to continue. Then she descended into the bowels of the Earth. So he swallowed his love deep in his heart, keeping his words anchored in his soul until the perfect moment when he could finally tell her all this...</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Although the young people had described their many visits to the Upside Down, each one more strange and terrifying than the last, being there was something else entirely. The nightmarish atmosphere and the stench that reigned there were not the only ones responsible for the chills that had spread to every inch of their bodies. There was nothing real about this place and yet it was.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Everyone followed Elf into the meandering tunnels. Echo thought to herself that if it weren't for this little girl, none of them would be able to find their way through this morbid labyrinth. She knew that she and her friends were brave, but now she was really terrified, anxious, without even knowing why. The place itself made her terror rise naturally and she could easily guess that it was the same for each of her teammates, even the regulars. Only Elf seemed confident and moved forward without question, but deep down, the place upset her as much as it did them. The cries of the creatures echoed in the distance. Even Sabrina, who had been following quietly from afar, was bristling, and for some reason she felt that she had no power here. She would be useless in case of danger.The second team had to be in place by now and start luring the monsters to the other side of the tunnels.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">It took only a few minutes before they came to a crossroads that was wider than the others, but without any signs of demarcation.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"This is it, »Elf announced. "It will take me a few moments to open the portal. Once it's open, I won't be able to hold on much longer, so I'll ask you to pass through without delay. This manipulation will take a lot of energy and the portal will attract the Demodogs. The diversion won't work for long. So don't hang around."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Thank you... for everything you've done for us! "Echo said to her.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Elf nodded, "I hope this time you go home..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Everyone said their goodbyes in a rather brief, but very grateful way. Only Hope literally threw herself around Octavia's neck. The brunette was a little slow to realize this, but quickly and intensely returned her embrace.</p><p class="p1">"I wish I had more time to get to know you. I don't know why, but I feel like we could have been very close together. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I feel the same way... You are an amazing girl Hope, you may not have super powers, but the strength of character inside you is precious. Never forget that. Use it. I will never forget you..."</p><p class="p1">A tear rolled down Octavia's cheek.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I hate to tell you this, but... We have to go now! We'll fall behind and the boys will never make it to the other side. " Elf reminded them as he began to direct his hands toward the center of the crossroads.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Indeed, she was right. It was even worse than she thought. On the other side of the tunnel, the boys had fought proudly and had burned a good twenty of these devils. But just as they were beginning to run out of strength and ammunition, the creatures had suddenly lost all attention on them and turned back. They had tried to lure them away for a while. But it was no use. So Mike decided to speed up and get Erica on the radio to warn Nancy, who could reach Dustin.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">By the time the message arrived, Elf had not yet finished opening the Anomaly.</p><p class="p1">"Just a few more minutes... Try to hold them off. They are coming I can feel them... I need a little more time. Jump as soon as I give the order."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Hope, Steve, and Dustin moved in front of each of the tunnels, but the monsters were coming in great numbers and their weapons would soon be insufficient. Their horrific screams made everyone's stomach turn. If Johnathan could have been there, he would surely have thought they had multiplied in between. And they almost had. It's just that the ones that had been silent and inert until then had now become enraged and were heading straight for the portal.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Bellamy could feel Steeve's terror... If after all they had been through, this guy could be so frightened, the risk must have been really big. He couldn't let them sacrifice themselves for him, for them.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I'll help you. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"No you won't have time to jump into the Anomaly. " Robin reminded him.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I know, yes, we'll figure it out later. Elf will reopen the portal when she gets her strength back. But right now, no one will make it out if I don't help you. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The portal was almost ready now.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Bellamy don’t! If you stay, I'll stay too. I won't walk away from you this time. " Clarke cried to him, the way filled with despair and holding his arms, panicked. For nothing in the world she wanted to separate from him.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"No Princess. They will need you to lead them. If I'm not there to watch over them, only you can do that, you know that. Whatever happens, I will come back to you, I promise. I will find a solution. "Those last words were spoken with certainty and Clarke knew in her heart that Bellamy would keep his promise, that they would find each other as always, because that was what they were supposed to do. They belonged together.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The gate was now open. Sabrina decided to stay with Bellamy discreetly. On the one hand, because this world fascinated her, and on the other, because he might need help if she managed to regain her powers.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I'm staying, you're not much use on your own. And I can handle a sword like no other. These abominations don't scare me..." Bellamy looked at her, mixed by his reason and his heart... She thought it best to add: "Side by side, as it was meant to be..." This last sentence knew to impose itself and she did not leave matter for reflection since she had already left to join Robin to fight at his sides, throwing her backpack to Clarke.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Hey man, I could use some help here. "called Dustin...</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Go on Clarke..Now..." ordered the dark-haired man.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The blonde made a step in direction of the Anomaly by nodding the head, but changed her mind to come to stick passionately her lips on that of her best friend to give him this desperate kiss which waited patiently since years. There was no more time to think. It would perhaps be her last chance. Bellamy returned his kiss urgently, intensely. He put there all the love and the devotion which he felt for the young woman, all the words which he had never been able to say to her.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">They knew it was real. What was between them. They could see now what they were afraid to admit: their love was mutual. Their souls were exchanging sparks of love and their whole being was shaken. All they had to do was accept it, dare to risk their friendship for something much more intense, but also more complex. And this time, they were ready. It would have taken them a lot of trials, worlds, meetings, time... But in the end, the goal was reached. They were ready and not a single second would be wasted.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I can't stand it anymore..." Elf warned.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Clarke broke their kiss and looked into Bellamy's eyes. "I..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Me too. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"May we meet again. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">« We will. In this world or in another. I will find you. No matter what!"</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Don't die"</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Neither do you. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">She let go of his hand and dove into the green cloud just before Elf closed it.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Bellamy and Octavia joined the others in trying to hold back the demons while the teenager regained some strength. It only lasted a minute or two, but it felt like hours when Elf yelled, "Get behind me! Now!"</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">They did so and a blinding light pierced the tunnels from all sides. When they opened their eyes again, Elf was on her knees and every demon was gone, only silence reigned in the still icy atmosphere.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Dustin rushed to his friend, half unconscious, but alive.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Octavia looked at Hope doubtfully... " It's okay, she's always like this after making such an effort. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Let's get back up there. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Everyone found themselves on the surface, the other teams surprised to see Bellamy and Octavia still there, but reassured that everything had gone relatively smoothly and that Elf had managed to eliminate all the Demodogs.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Mike offered to put Bellamy and Octavia up for the night. The house would be more comfortable and his parents would be unsuspecting as usual. Bellamy could sleep in the basement on the couch. Octavia could sleep in Nancy's room, pretending to be her friend. He couldn't do anything tonight and they all knew it. Elf was too weak. They had to rest.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">But that night, while stroking the black cat he thought belonged to his hosts, Bellamy was thinking only of Clarke, of the softness of her golden hair, of her warm lips he could finally taste, of the love he could finally read clearly in her eyes, as if everything was finally revealed to him. He thought about her even more than usual, he thought so hard that he almost felt as if he could smell her sweet smell comforting him. Surprisingly, he wasn't afraid, he knew it would be okay, that he was destined to find her. He was sure of it. The only question left in his head was "when". What if something happened to her? No, impossible, she was far too resourceful and intelligent to get out of any kind of situation. He had to trust her and himself to get out of here. It was only a matter of time for him to find his beloved, time and universe. The black cat purred as if to confirm to him that all would be well... This same small cat which had the heart filled to know that it had not been mistaken, that in spite of its error, its goal was reached. It only remained to find the way back to their own world. It was necessary to be patient.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">3 days passed before Elf was operational again. If Bellamy had slightly found the time long surrounded by all these teenagers, Octavia had been able to enjoy a little more time with Hope and she was delighted.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">On the fourth day, Elf offered to try to reopen their portal. There was no plan to be made, as she knew there were no more Demodogs left. So she went alone with Mike, Bellamy and Octavia to the same place where Clarke had revealed her love to Bellamy in the most beautiful, if somewhat desperate, way.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I warn you one last time: the Anomaly is very unstable, I don't guarantee that you will land in the same place as them and if you do, I have no idea how time has passed there. I hope you find them soon, but be careful. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Thanks Elf, thanks for everything. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">After a last embrace with the siblings that she had taken the time to really appreciate. Elf reopened the portal without any trouble and our two browns could slip inside, accompanied by this strange black cat that nobody noticed. As Elf had guessed, they didn't arrive at all in the same world as their friends, to the great dismay of Bellamy who had to hurry up to find his soul mate as soon as possible and get out of this New World which was still very weird...</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Elf was exhausted when Mike helped her walk to the surface. "Are you okay? You haven't said a word since you hugged Bellamy? "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I'm fine yeah... it's just... Bellamy reminded me a little of Hopper you know, his protective, father hen side..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"I know what you mean yes, only less gruff though," Mike tried to make her smile.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"When I hugged Bellamy, I had a kind of vision even though nothing was clear... more like a hunch... Mike, I am convinced that Hopper is not dead. I had suspected it for several months, but now I am sure. He's out there somewhere, probably amnesiac or trapped... I have to find him. "</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Mike simply nodded and hugged him, "We'll all be there to help you...but today you need to rest..."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The two teens left to find the rest of their friends, knowing that their adventures were far from over and that new trials would await them.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Don’t fear the walking travelers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn't put a Warning but, just like the Elite chapter, there is a scene a bit hotter than normal in this chapter ( it's not Smutt though )...<br/>I hope you like it. I hesitated to linger a bit more in this world but I preferred to make a long chapter instead and to make it fair with the next world in which I won't linger either...<br/>In this chapter, you'll understand, I mixed the characters of Lexa and Alicia from Fear the Walking Dead. I found it interesting. I also hesitated to replace Judith by Madi but finally I didn't find it useful.<br/>As for the relationship that develops in this chapter, I think it might surprise someone. I had never read anything about it before and I found this development interesting. I can't tell you more about it without spoilers so I'll be happy to discuss it further by answering your comments.<br/>Finally, although we won't have a Bellarke scene in this chapter, I find it just as emotional because of Clarke's confession, but also because of the bonding that takes place towards the relationship that is highlighted here.</p><p>See you soon!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">This time they arrived in a forest. They wondered if they were still in Hawkins, which Clarke, arriving last and in tears, would have preferred.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Clarke, where are the Blakes?" Murphy asked her seeing that nothing was happening and that the portal was already closing.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"They stayed there, the beasts came much faster than expected, massively, Bellamy insisted on helping them so we could get through and they had a chance to hold them... I wanted to stay, but he forbade me. Only Octavia managed to get through... I hope it won't be long before they join us. "Her tears flowed uncontrollably. She was so exhausted, and emotionally at her wits' end. She had finally been able to share an intense moment with her soul mate, only to have it snatched away from her again. She knew deep down that they would find each other again. Because that's how it had to be. But she didn't want to waste one more minute of her life without him. She needed him like one needs air. He had that confidence in her that she was incapable of having. Sure, she was a good leader capable of helping her friends and getting out of where they had "fallen", if again not their world. But without him, it seemed much harder. She was afraid of cracking, of making the wrong choices, she simply needed her other half. And that, she had to hide it, to show herself strong and reassuring so that their small group remains welded and overcome this next stage together. Because something told her that once again, they were not at home.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Murphy walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder awkwardly, as if trying to reassure her.</p><p class="p3">"He'll be able to reach you. I have no doubt of it..." She answered him simply.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"It seems to be the morning," Monty observed. "It's a good thing we had a good rest. Let's see if we can get back on the road and see where we are. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Clarke stood up, wiped away her tears, and took the lead in the walk without adding anything. She needed to get moving if she wanted to stop her tormented mind.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They walked for a good two hours before they saw what looked like a road. Thanks to everyone's skills, they were able to get out of this forest without getting lost to their great relief, they didn't encounter anything threatening, only a few rabbits.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Right or left? "Echo asked once they were on the pavement. On either side, there was nothing on the horizon except the road and the forest, no details to help them reach the nearest town.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"We can flip a coin! "Jasper jovially proposed with his usual enthusiasm. Echo looked up at the sky, but since they didn't have any better ideas anyway, Clarke let him do it. She wasn't confident enough to make that choice yet, and no one else seemed to want to except Jasper.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Heads, we're going right. "So they set off in that direction and walked for a little over an hour without passing a single car. No matter where they were, it must have been pretty godforsaken! A few dozen kilometers further on, the remains of an old road sign was on the side of the road, so dilapidated that it was impossible to read anything.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Totally creepy, all that's missing are the ruined houses and you'd think we were in a ghost country..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Hey, we might be in a remake of Scooby doo!" Jasper grinned despite Monty's big eyes, exasperated by his best friend's unabashed enthusiasm.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"At least we look like we're in America! Those signs picked up well, but they're definitely American signs! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Indeed, but all this did not reassure our young blonde. In any case, they had no other option than to continue straight on until they found... something! And that's unfortunately what they did...</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p5">Jasper started to sing at the top of his lungs, soon joined by Monty and then Murphy and finally the whole group was now singing along...</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p5">
  <em>« And so i wake in the morning</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>And i step outside</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>And i take a deep breath and i get real high</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>And i scream at the top of my lungs</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>What's going on?</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>And i say. hey hey hey hey</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>I said hey. what's going on?</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>And i say. hey hey hey hey</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>I said hey. what's going on?</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>Ooh. ooh ooh</em>
</p><p class="p5">
  <em>Ooh ooh ooh »</em>
</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They were completely letting go and the atmosphere was now totally relaxed. Even Clarke was laughing out loud and had managed to get his torments out of his head for a song. However, how could they know that they had arrived in a world where the slightest noise can quickly sign your death warrant?</p><p class="p3">"Stop!" Echo shouted. "Do you hear that? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They all strained their ears for the slightest sound. It didn't take much effort to quickly find what had alerted the young woman: a kind of guttural sound, as if small, angry but very soft animals were around. It was very strange. It should have frightened them, because there was nothing normal about this sound, but after what they had faced before, they didn't think they should worry.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They hurried a little, but the sound seemed to come from everywhere in the trees, and the forest's reasoning did not help them distinguish where the noise was coming from. Indeed, if they could not distinguish where the sounds were coming from, it was because "it" was coming from everywhere. Their song had disturbed the calm of the surroundings and stirred up all the "things" towards them.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">So it wasn't until Echo saw the first zombie come out of the greenery that she began in earnest, and once again, to panic.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"What the hell is this again..." Murphy panted, more exasperated than actually worried. His slowness was obvious, if they started running, they were bound to have the advantage.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"A fucking zombie! And from what I hear his little friends can't be far away. "Monty exclaimed in amazement. "We've had to deal with a few zombies with Buffy before, but these ones might be different. Decapitate them, or better yet, pulverize their brains. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Uh Dude, I think those are quite different, they don't talk at all... We had to be even more careful. Anyway, don't let them bite you and keep them as far away from you as possible. We're not taking any chances. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Okay, yes, quickly, we'll move faster and try to lose them. " Clarke suggested, who had recovered her seriousness.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They did not have much time to progress, because they realized that they were being surrounded and that the marchers were coming from all sides.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">" Fuck it..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"We made too much noise, we must have attracted them. " Monty replied.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">" Well done Einstein! Did you figure that out by yourself? "Murphy threw it at him as if it were obvious.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Clarke, what do we do? "Jasper asked, ignoring his new partner's sarcasm.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Honestly? I have no idea..." She thought for a few seconds, trying to ignore her heart that was drumming in her chest with fear. Everything would be so much easier with Bellamy by her side. "We have to make our way, we have no choice, we pick a direction and force our way through carefully, and run as fast as we can to safety. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They all looked at her, confused.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"If anyone has a better solution they should feel free to do so! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Of course, no one brought back their knowledge this time. And fortunately for them, just as they had gathered what little they had to defend themselves and keep the dead away, a horn sounded with several sounds of galloping horses and what sounded like a motorcycle.They couldn't see anything, but these foreign sounds were not threatening.</p><p class="p3">In a few seconds and the sound of blades, a path was cleared and they discovered a man in his forties with the look of a biker. At his side, ripping the brains out of zombies one after the other, was a pretty brunette with green eyes, full lips and a youthful face, in her twenties or maybe thirties, they didn't know. For a moment, she gauged each of them as if she were probing their souls and when her gaze fell on Echo, the latter felt strangely reassured and... strange.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Hurry up, don't hang around. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">So they made their way through the dead, closely following their saviors who seemed to know exactly what they were doing... What strange world had they fallen into again?</p><p class="p3">And they were not at the end of their surprises. A girl about ten years old stood proudly on a horse, not at all afraid.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Get in the car, now. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"We won't all fit in there Judith! "reminded her of a greying lady who was looking after the zombies nearby.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The pretty brunette then directed them with a voice that left no room for argument:</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"You, on the bike behind Daryl. "She ordered Murphy and then turned to Clarke: "You, behind Judith on horseback. The other three in the car with Carol and me. "</p><p class="p3">She then turned to the child: "I hope you are sure Judith! Your mother isn't going to be happy. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"And I'm not either! "The biker grumbled.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">" Absolutely! "said the girl. "You can tell they're not threatening at all. We'll get away from there and discuss it before we bring them back, I promise. But we can't abandon them. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The brunette nodded. "I'm all for it. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">With that, the whole little world moved more or less quickly away from the horde of hungry people that remained.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They stopped half an hour later, meeting nothing else on their way but a few walkers here and there. Judith asked Clarke a lot of questions on the way. Who were they? How many? How did they get there? Clarke chose to tell the truth even if it seemed unlikely... After all, they were in a world apparently infested with fucking zombies! She hoped her friends would do the same, because she had understood her date's little trick. This child seemed very smart and mature for her young age. Clarke suspected that her friends would be questioned in the same way and that everything would be compared to judge their honesty. That's what she would have done. This world seemed once again very hostile and something told her that zombies were not the only bipeds they had to fear.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They stopped at an intersection. The heart of the young blonde tightened as she thought of the last intersection she had left a few hours earlier, thus abandoning a part of herself, probably the best part.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The biker, the young brunette and the child met a little further, leaving them under the care of the older lady, Carol apparently. As Clarke thought, their information was compared and luckily for them, none of them had lied. What's the point anyway...</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They returned about ten minutes later.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"What you say is completely unbelievable..." Affirmed the pretty brunette of an icy tone. "But it's so unbelievable that you couldn't make it up! And as you can see, we live surrounded by walkers so... we decided to believe you, hoping we wouldn't regret it. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"You won't regret it," Echo argued, planting her brown gaze in the penetrating eyes of the young woman, who lowered them almost immediately, visibly disconcerted. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Look, it would be nice to get us to a place where we can get to safety until a new portal reopens. Usually it doesn't take too long, it can vary. We'll manage. You've already helped us out a lot. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The brunette turned to her friends, the child gave her a big smile that she seemed to understand, the biker and Carol nodded.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The brunette spoke again, "My name is Lexa, and this is Judith, without whom we might not have stopped, Carol and Daryl. To be honest with you, we've become more suspicious of humans than of the dead. With them at least, we know how to reach each other. Humans are petty and hateful, they are our worst threat. Fortunately, some are good. We are several groups spread over several areas, we help each other and protect ourselves as we can. Seeing how little equipment you have and how naive some of you are ( she pointed to Jasper and Monty ), you won't last a day here alone. You're going to come to our house, to Arkadia. Judith's mother runs it with the council that Daryl and I are on. There will be a home for you, we have suffered heavy losses recently so...well there is room and we must admit we need some hands to help us repair the damage...even if it is temporary. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"You help us, we help you, it's the least we can do. You won't be disappointed and we promise that as soon as the Anomaly reopens, we'll leave you alone. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Lexa nodded. "Let's go, we've got a long way to go and convincing Michonne will be a whole different matter..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They arrived in Arkadia just as the sun was beginning to set and were impressed with the protections around the town. They were even more amazed to see the small town that its inhabitants had created for themselves...or rather what was left of it, for there was indeed damage. Most people looked at them sideways, they must not have been used to welcoming new people often, and must have regretted it the times it had happened. They could understand that. Carole proposed to take them to a vacant house while Lexa and Daryl would convince the council. Clarke would have preferred to plead her case herself, but she trusted them.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Their temporary housing was in good condition compared to those closer to the entrance. They were much better off than at Hawkins, the house is sublime and there were 4 bedrooms. Only two of them would have to share one or one of them would have to take the living room. It was amazing to find such comfort in such an apocalyptic world.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"What if the council refuses? "Monty asked.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Then we will have to ask you to leave. "Carol replied directly.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Jasper swallowed hard at this. She continued, "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Michonne rarely refuses Judith anything and Lexa trusts you, and Daryl obviously does too. It's a foregone conclusion. But don't let us down. We are all ruthless in the event of a threat and won't hesitate to eliminate you if you suspect... I'll leave you alone, someone will come and warn you of the decision soon. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She left them alone in their new home, a feeling of insecurity deep inside them.They would soon learn that Carol was like that: warm, but ruthless. It was her nature and it was what had saved her more than once.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They were preparing to eat (because luckily for them, the cupboards were still full of good food...) when someone knocked on the door. Echo went to open the door and found Lexa entering without asking permission.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Good news, it hasn't been easy, but you can stay as long as it takes. You'll meet with Michonne and the rest of the colony tomorrow and they'll assign you assignments to do to help us. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Thanks again. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Don't be so hasty in thanking us, you'll have to work hard to prove your good faith and as Carol must have already told you, the slightest misstep is out or death. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">No one answered.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"There are only four rooms here, I have one free at home if you want. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"That's nice, but you shouldn't split up, when the gate opens you never know for how long so..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I just live next door. It's literally right up against yours. And we have radios. You can tell the person right away if there's an emergency. It will only take one minute to get to you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Clarke nodded.</p><p class="p3">"I'm coming. " Advanced without hesitating Echo what tore a small smile in corner on the insipid face of Lexa that Clarke could not help noticing. " See you tomorrow morning... "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">A few minutes later and after leaving a radio in the house. Lexa and Echo left them. Lexa showed her her room, just across from hers, and asked her what she wanted to eat. Strangely, the young woman seemed much less cold to her when they were together, almost vulnerable even, and Echo felt her heart tingle when the green eyes of the young woman plunged into hers.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They didn't sleep much that night, but talked for long hours on the couch, each telling the other about her adventures. Strangely, the two young women quickly found several common points and especially, a certain chemistry that she had not known since... never, in fact. It is with a light heart that each of them went to bed in their respective rooms, in the middle of the night.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">In the next house, almost everyone was fast asleep, strangely safer than ever since they had left. Only Clarke couldn't sleep, replaying her last moments with her soul mate. She had gone downstairs to get a glass of water, and was looking at the moon, her nose almost glued to the window, wondering what Bellamy could be doing right now, or where he could be, when he would join her... What if they arrived at the same place as them and were attacked by the Zombies? How would they find each other? Tomorrow she would have to inform Lexa and find a solution. In the meantime, she had to try to reassure herself. Bellamy knew how to defend himself, he was discreet and clever, and so was Octavia. She took a deep breath when the stairs creaked.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Aren't you sleeping? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Neither are you. "Murphy pointed out. "You're worried about him aren't you? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Of course I do. For Bellamy, and for Octavia. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"But more about Bellamy..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She didn't answer.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"He will find you Clarke. If two people are meant to find each other, I have no doubt it's you two! This guy would turn the world upside down to find you. It's only a matter of time. Don't worry."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"You're probably right. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I kissed him, right before I left him. " She confessed, filled with guilt.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Finally!!!It's about time. I don't know what took you so long!That's great to hear... You are literally two halves of the same coin. I've never seen two people more compatible and complementary than you two. I hope to meet someone like that for myself. I'm glad you made the first move. I thought it would be Bellamy, but obviously you had more guts than he did. That's a good thing. And just so you know, you didn't give up on him, you did the right thing. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Clarke stared into space again. Murphy continued, "I can understand that risking your friendship wasn't easy for him or you. But honestly, you had nothing to fear. It can only go well. Being in love with your best friend is the most beautiful thing that can happen, and you two...well, it's truly exceptional what you share..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The blonde let a tear escape as she smiled. She needed to talk, to confide, and if Murphy was perhaps not the ideal person for that a few weeks earlier, she felt that at this moment, he was. So she spill her guts that she had been carrying for far too long...</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I think I was actually not only afraid of breaking our precious friendship. I've always believed that the most perfect act of love was sacrifice, hiding my feelings so I could keep him as a friend. He is my best friend yes and I may well have fallen in love with him long before we could qualify as friends. But it was more than that that I was afraid of losing. I know I'll never find someone like him again. And I need him, as a friend and... it's hard to say, to admit… "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"You can trust me Clarke. I know I'm not Bellamy and that you and I aren't always on the same page. I've made mistakes in the past, but I think I've proven my loyalty to you more than once now. If you want to confide in me, I promise you that your secret will be safe. Sometimes it's good to let go, to put words to what's undermining us... because otherwise it eats us up. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She nodded her head.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"The truth is, believe it or not, I have no confidence in myself, no self-esteem. Sometimes I can't even look at myself in the mirror. Despite my self-assured looks and all that... Deep down I just want to scream..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Clarke... I... I didn't know. You're really good at hiding it. To me you've always been a natural leader, probably the smartest and most intelligent person I know. The voice of wisdom! I don't see why you would have anything to doubt... I didn't know you felt so bad. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I make sure no one notices, I've been trying to hide it forever, that would be even worse. I don't want to be vulnerable. I think the only one who might know is Bellamy. We never talked about it, but..."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"He knows you better than anyone. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"That's for sure."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They both let out a nervous laugh.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"My point is that I've never met anyone like him. He has this way of looking at me like I'm the eighth wonder of the world, this way of putting me on a pedestal. He is the person who knows me best. He knows me better than my mother, maybe better than I know myself. He's seen me at my best and my worst. He knows my few qualities, but also my many flaws. He has seen me make the worst mistakes, but he was also there for my successes. He has never doubted me or even said so. He was always there to boost me up and when I felt like I was about to crack, just hearing his reassuring voice or seeing me in his eyes was enough to cheer me up. And then there's his overproductive side too, which is so characteristic of him. It annoys Octavia, but for me, it reassures me, it soothes me, it comforts me. I know I can count on him no matter what happens... The proof, look where we are today, all because he wanted to come to my rescue. He is my rock, my pillar. He's perfect. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">« Geez, you're really in love, aren't you? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"As if it wasn't already obvious... I thought I was being discreet, but I think today it was only him who couldn't see it."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">" So what are you afraid of? He's perfect for you! And you're perfect for him, I'm sure. And frankly if you don't see it, anyone can tell you: he's just as much in love with you. I've never seen him look at anyone like he looks at you. The way he stares at you is unspeakable, special, truly exceptional in its depth. There isn't a single person who knows both of you who hasn't said that you're made for each other. We've even had a bet with Octavia for several years! She bet on you finally making the first move, and me on Bellamy. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Sorry to disappoint you then! You lost your bet! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"It looks like I did! But what I don't understand is that you just explained to me that you needed him, that he was perfect for you. So what's the problem? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Well that's the problem actually! You see I don't want to lose his adoration, his trust. I'm afraid that if it goes any further between us, he'll end up getting bored, seeing my faults more than my qualities. And then I know that's all I'd need to sink. It's selfish of me, but I need to see that adoration in those eyes. If I see disappointment in them even once... I think I may never recover. I got a little taste of it in Sunnydale right before the Anomaly reopened, and I really didn't like it. I need to see myself through his kindly eyes."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"He was just jealous Clarke! It had nothing to do with you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Maybe so, but it was the first time he looked at me like that. And I have this constant fear of failing him, of him seeing me as I see myself. So if the two of us get more serious, if we live together, if we really share everything, it will give him more opportunities to be disappointed in me. I can't allow that. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"That's bullshit! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Thank you... I know about that. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"No, really! It's foolish of you to think that he might not love you as blindly as he always has!  You've been hanging around each other for years and like you said, he knows everything about you! He has never been disappointed. He must know all your flaws and he still loves you tirelessly. Maybe he's as scared as you are. And then... You have already had other love stories, right? You've taken risks with them. How would this be any different? "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Because I've never loved anyone as much as him! And that he's... Bellamy! And besides, look where it got me! It never worked! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I've never seen you in agony after your breakups! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Because it was never serious. I never liked any girl or boy as much as Bellamy! I didn't have much to risk! I was in my comfort zone! And then, looking back I realized one thing lately, they all had one thing in common. No one may have noticed and I don't think it was intentional on my part, but... they all needed me. They were far from perfect, they were all messed up in their own way and I liked feeling strong and useful by saving them in my own way, or trying to. I also knew deep down that I shouldn't be afraid to disappoint them, because I didn't consider them better than me, or not sincerely. Each of them, each of them had a habit of disappointing people, I didn't have much to look forward to and I liked the challenge of it. I liked telling myself that with me it was different, that they were changing because of me. It's downright silly and selfish, but I have to face it. And with Bellamy, it's just the opposite. He's perfect. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Look, I can't say I understand you, because I don't. I'm trying to see things from your perspective, but it's too complicated for me at this level. All I can tell you is that it's worth it. I'm not really a role model when it comes to relationships, but I don't think I'm wrong when I say that a soul mate is someone who won't abandon you, who will listen to you in difficult moments, who will look for solutions with you and who will commit. It must be someone with whom you feel able to overcome your fears, your complexes, to repair your wounds of the past. It is someone you can trust completely, to whom you can confide all your worries, your problems, but also simply talk about light things and tell your day. It's someone you know you can grow with, build with, find what you've always wanted... I haven't found her yet and I hope to one day (don't tell anyone, I don't want to ruin my reputation as a lady-killer)... But if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that you and Bellamy have found each other for this beautiful reason. You are connected. If I believed in past lives I could almost believe that you were always together after all. Don't throw away that chance because you're afraid. Believe me, you two can only be fully happy. He won't let you go... Not even when he has to change your diapers when you're too old to take care of yourself! "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She let out a small laugh between the tears of emotions that flooded her cheek. She couldn't say anything more, so she just hugged him and thanked him. Who would have thought that John Murphy would be able to soothe her aches so easily?</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"How about we get some rest now? We've got a tough day ahead of us tomorrow. We'll have to prove ourselves if we want to survive here long enough to wait for Bellamy or leave again. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">That night, it' s the heart finally peaceful and soothed that Clarke Griffin sank in the arms of Morpheus, not doubting any more for a single moment what she had to do once she would find her half. Because she would find him, that either she did not doubt any more.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">She went to knock at Lexa's house at the first light of dawn. The brunette was already awake and seemed to be busy preparing a nice breakfast for Echo, which Clarke noted as adorable and surprising coming from this remarkably cold young woman. Her friend must have been still sleeping, because she didn't see her. She then explained to Lexa her concerns about Bellamy and Octavia and asked if they could find a way to guide them to them if they arrived. Lexa promised to tell Michonne as soon as possible.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">A few hours later, everyone was assigned to different tasks to help repair the damage or maintain the garden. None of them balked, and they set to work with motivation. Daryl came to pick up Clarke in the early afternoon, informing her that they had permission to mark the way as quietly as possible so that her friends would have a chance to find them. So she rode with him on her motorcycle to the spot where she thought she remembered landing. She had to choose a sign that they would mark on some trees, far away of course. Clarke knew right away what to draw: sometimes a heart, sometimes a brain... The head and the heart... What they were to each other. She knew that he would understand, that he would know. That would be enough.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">But the days went by and there was no sign of Bellamy or Octavia, and no sign of a new gateway either. A week had passed, but she wasn't giving up hope, she had already endured the time difference so anything was possible. Life wasn't so bad here, apart from the fact that they had only been out of the colony twice, heavily accompanied, and to check the condition of the portal site. But the house was comfortable and the work was enough to pass the time. If many still looked askance at them, enough accepted them to make the atmosphere pleasant and Clarke liked to spend her time in the company of the young Judith.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Echo had become very close to her host and each evening shared with her brought up feelings never felt before in her heart and body. It was an unknown, mysterious ground, as well physically as sentimentally. She longed for a taste of it, and probably would have done so already if it were only physical attraction, but she knew it was much more than that. The connection was obvious. What was the point of getting attached to someone she would probably never see again once the portal opened?</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Lexa on her side was longing for a first step. She had always been attracted to women, but she felt that it was new for Echo, she did not want to rush her. And deep down, she was terrified to see her leave far too soon. In fact, it would probably always be too soon. She hadn't felt anything like this since Costia, and that was a long time ago, right at the beginning of the first undead. She had seen the love of her life eaten out of her guts right in front of her eyes and she had almost lost her life too. She had wished it more than once. So she had finally sworn to herself to never let her heart go soft again. It hurt too much, made her too vulnerable. And in this world, she couldn't afford to be weak. But she hadn't planned on the arrival of this tall brunette in her life. She had not been able to control anything.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">They were sitting in front of the blazing fireplace, as they had become accustomed to do every night before going to bed, wondering about each other's lives, before and after something different happened to turn everything upside down. The more they got to know each other, the more their feelings intensified, their desire became more and more obvious. Also, this night there, about ten days after their meeting, it is without warning nor to ask for the authorization that Lexa took the initiative to put her lips on that of Echo. This last welcomed preciously this moment and half-opened her mouth to mingle a little more with the one who had quickly known how to win her heart. She moaned. This kiss intensified again and again and became the intense source of a shared pleasure, of a desire however unfulfilled at this first stage. She wanted some more, but however Echo moved back slightly, slowing down the eagerness of Lexa who had just slipped her hand under the tank top of the young woman.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Wait... I want you to know... This is the first time for me, with a woman. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I know, yes, I thought so. We can take our time if you want. It's just that... To be honest, I've wanted to since I first laid eyes on you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"To be fair, so have I. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I don't want to rush you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Unfortunately time is running out and I want to enjoy every moment with you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"But I want all of you, completely relaxed and confident. If you want to wait a little longer, I can understand. Just talking with you fills me with joy. I haven't felt this way about someone in... a very long time. I drink your words like I inhale an intoxicating perfume, you leave me perplexed, and little by little I get attached to these small details that make you singular. I drink in your words, in the complexity of your being. You drive me crazy, Echo. I want everything from you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The brunette shivered, no one had ever said such beautiful words to her, and she could read all the sincerity that emanated from Lexa's emerald eyes.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I remain intrigued by you, something in you makes me want to discover every part of your mind, your body, your heart. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I wish I had the time to teach you, to show you, who I am, what's inside me. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I'm afraid we don't have that precious time. As soon as the gate opens, I'll have to leave again."</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"I'm well aware of that. And in any case, time is a luxury we can't afford to take for granted in the world I live in. But I want to make things right. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Echo nodded, caressing the naked arm of the young woman whose face was only a few inches from her. "I'm not only attracted by this ounce of mystery, this constant and irresolute enigma that characterizes you Lexa. I want you to understand that everything about you fascinates me. My heart knew it would beat for you the moment we met. I can't help it. I don't want to waste a single second with you. I want all of you, your body, your soul... right now. There is nothing I am more sure of. You won't only be the first woman to take possession of my intimacy, you will also be my first true love. For I know now, I had never loved before I met you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The young woman could not prevent herself from attracting Echo again against her lips, more intensely this time. Tenderly, she removed her tank top, then her bra. " You are gorgeous... " Then while traversing his neck of kisses to finish by reaching the first curves of his chest, she murmured to him: " Let me traverse your body, your thoughts, your dreams. Let me show you how you deserve to be loved. Allow me the privilege of discovering the smallest secrets you hide on and within you. "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Echo let herself go completely under Lexa's hands and mouth which had not been used in this way for too long. She was trembling with all her being as never it had been the case before. It was difficult to gather her spirits to remove in its turn the clothes of the brunette, she burned of desire to let herself completely make, but she also wanted to discover it, to feel it. Also, it is finally Lexa who found herself completely naked before her, on her. She put her hands on her as if she could break her at any moment. She wanted this moment to be perfect. What if she wasn't up to it? Lexa had to feel her lack of confidence in her because she breathed in the hollow of her ear, just after having removed the last pieces of fabric that covered her: "In my embraces you will find the way to flourish our exchanges. Do not think any more, our spirits already understand each other, our bodies will understand each other without effort. "Then she swept her hand until her intimacy, pulling him a moan more pushed. The brunette with the green eyes smiled, the mouth on her breast. Rising, she made a last request, eyes in the eyes, soul to soul: "Tell me your story, make me share a little of you, let me discover you. "On these words, his face went down in his turn towards the crotch of Echo, who was already at the doors of the pleasure.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">This night was intense and timeless for the two young women whose pleasure was not at all in doubt, and this on many occasions. Echo had never experienced this. Of course, she had already had pleasure, of course, she had already liked, or had believed it. She was attached to Bellamy when they were together, but something had always been missing, and she had just found it. As she lost herself in the twists and turns of the universe, she had found herself. And when she fell asleep at dawn, snuggled in the arms of this woman she felt she had known forever, she knew deep down that she had already made her decision and that she would not change her mind: she would stay in this world with Lexa.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">It was Clarke who was informed first. She was the one who could understand it the most. The blonde was not even surprised and approved her decision without questioning it. She knew that one could do anything for love and even if this world was hostile for her friend, weren't they all in their own way? Echo had naturally proposed to Lexa to follow her, but Lexa felt responsible for her people, she belonged to this world in which she had fought many times for her life and that of her friends. She wouldn't abandon it.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">The others were perhaps a little more surprised, but no judgment was made. Murphy was the saddest of them all, not that he was especially close to Echo, he just felt like he was leaving her here. But seeing the light in her eyes every time Lexa put her hands on her, he knew it was the best thing for her and that he had to respect her decision.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">It was only three days later, when Bellamy and Octavia hadn't given any sign of life, that the portal reappeared in the middle of their new living room. They hesitated to say goodbye to Echo, but wouldn't it be harder to say goodbye than to slip away quietly without attracting more attention? Clarke hesitated to leave for fear of missing Bellamy's return. But for the same reason she had abandoned him at Hawkins, she had to leave again. And anyway, maybe he would never get here... So she scribbled on a piece of paper and put it on the kitchen island: "Thanks for everything. Echo: <em>Be happy, take care of yourself. We will never forget you. Maybe we'll meet again one day...</em></p><p class="p3"><em>PS: If Bellamy and Octavia arrive, just tell them never to give up. We'll find each other again. I have no doubt about that.</em> "</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">"Clarke..." Murphy put a hand on her shoulder and she nodded, understanding that they had to go. One less person, again. There were only four of them now, heading out into the unknown in the middle of a greenish glow...</p>
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